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CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON. 

HIS  LAST  PORTRAIT. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY 


Christopher  Layton 


With  an  Account  of  his  Funeral, 

a  Personal  Sketch,  etc.,  and 

Genealogical   Appendix 


EDITED    BY    JOHN    Q.  CANNON 


Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

THE   DESERET  NEWS 

1911 


Copyright  1911 

By  Selina  Layton  Phillips 

For  the  Layton  Family  Association 


.IM;ARY 


PREFACE. 

The  inception  of  this  little  work  is  explained 
on  Page  232,  where  is  told  the  selection  of 
committees  to  look  up  President  Layton's  gen- 
ealogy and  write  a  history  of  his  life.  Mrs. 
Selina  Layton  Phillips,  who  was  chosen  secre- 
tary for  this  work,  performed  her  part  with 
most  excellent  judgment  and  thoroughness,  of 
which  no  further  evidence  is  required  than 
the  delightful  life  story  which  is  here  pre- 
sented. It  has  been  scarcely  necessary  to  make 
any  changes  whatever  in  the  narrative  as  pre- 
pared by  her,  my  own  part  consisting  in  the 
division  of  the  history  into  chapters,  with  some 
few  additions,  and  a  general  arrangement  of 
the  work  for  the  printer.  Acknowledgment 
should  also  be  made  of  the  advice  and  active 
assistance  of  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Layton  Swan,  of 
Kaysville,  in  supplying  correct  data  whenever 
a  question  arose.  The  full  committees  ap- 
pointed to  have  the  work  in  charge,  and  who 
deserve  the  gratitude  of  the  family  for  bring- 


YRAJi  [\\ 


PREFACE. 


ing  the  volume  to  completion,  are:  Selina 
Layton  Phillips  (secretary),  Charles  M.  Lay- 
ton,  Richard  G.  Layton,  the  Arizona  commit- 
tee; Annie  B.  Jones  (secretary),  Christopher 
Layton,  Jun.,  Mary  Ann  Layton  Swan,  the 
Utah  committee. 

The  genealogical  appendix  at  the  end  of  the 
book  has  been  prepared  with  much  care,  and 
as  published  has  had  final  revision  by  Mrs. 
Phillips  for  the  Arizona,  and  Mrs.  Swan  for 
the  Utah,  committee.  Notwithstanding  this, 
I  dare  not  expect  that  it  has  escaped  some 
errors  or  omissions.  These,  however,  it  is 
hoped,  are  few,  and  will  be  viewed  charitably ; 
for  even  the  most  critical  will  concede  the  dif- 
ficulty of  gathering  with  absolute  correctness 
the  names  and  dates  of  so  large  a  family,  scat- 
tered over  so  vast  an  expanse  of  country — a 
family,  too,  in  which  changes,  such  as  births, 
marriages,  deaths,  etc.,  are  of  almost  daily  oc- 
currence. Obviously,  a  stopping  point  in  the 
recording  of  these  changes  had  to  be  fixed 
somewhere,  and  this  date  was  fixed  at  July  31, 
1911.  It  will  also  be  noted  that  no  record  of 
great-grandchildren   has  been  attempted,  lest 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  v 

the  scope  of  the  appendix  should  run  far  be- 
yond the  allotted  bounds. 

It  only  remains  to  be  said,  as  a  last  word, 
that  this  Autobiography  of  Christopher  Lay- 
ton  has  been  prepared  and  published  both  as 
a  tribute  of  affection  for  him  and  as  a  token 
of  love  to  his  posterity.  It  is  designed  to  be 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation, 
to  be  preserved  as  a  family  memorial,  to  the 
end  that  in  the  contemplation  of  his  busy, 
eventful  and  honorable  life,  the  incentive  to 
worthy  deeds  and  righteous  conduct  may 
stand  before  his  children  and  his  children's 
children  forever. 

J.  Q.  C. 


CONTENTS. 

Chapter  Page 

I.  From  England  to  Nauvoo 1 

II.  Three  Bitter  Years— 1844-'5-'6.  ..  .  18 

III.  The    Government's    Call 31 

IV.  The  Mormon  Battalion 39 

V.  Santa  Fe  to  Tucson  57 

VI.  On  to  the  Pacific 81 

VII.  Battalion  Mustered  Out 96 

VIII.  Life  in  California 106 

IX.  Pioneering  in  Carson  Valley 118 

X.  Established  in  Kaysville 134 

XI.  Years  of  Empire-Building 159 

XII.  Last  Years  in  Kaysville 186 

XIII.  Presiding  in  Arizona .193 

XIV.  Approaching  the  End 219 

XV.  The  End  in  Mortality 235 

Christopher    Layton — The    Man .  .  .  282 
Genealogical  Appendix    291 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Christopher  Layton. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM  ENGLAND  TO  NAUVOO. 

Birth  and  Boyhood — Joins  the  Church — Marries 
and  Emigrates — Welcomed  by  the  Prophet — 
Patriarchal  Blessings. 

MY  father,  Samuel  Layton,  married  Isa- 
bella Wheeler,  by  whom  he  had  five  chil- 
dren, namely,  John,  Bathsheba,  Amos  (who 
died  in  infancy),  Priscilla  and  Christopher. 

I,  the  youngest,  was  born  in  the  small  village 
of  Thorncut,  Northhill,  Bedfordshire,  England, 
on  March  8,  1821. 

There  being  no  schools  in  our  village,  I  had 
no  chance  for  an  education;  and  as  my  par- 
ents were  poor,  I  was  obliged  to  help  in  sup- 


2  AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF 

porting  the  family  by  woVking  while  very 
young.  My  first  employment  was  keeping 
crows  off  the  wheat  fields,  and  I  was  paid 
thirty-six  cents  a  week  and  boarded  myself. 
This  was  when  I  was  only  seven  years  old. 

I  often  carried  my  father's  dinner  out  to  him 
in  the  field,  and  I  remember  one  day  father 
tried  to  whip  me  and  I  ran  away  from  him.  He 
phased  me  all  day  but  did  not  catch  me.  At 
night,  after  I  had  sneaked  off  to  bed,  I  heard 
him  come  in  and  inquire  of  mother  where  I 
was.  She  said  I  was  in  bed.  With  fear  and 
trembling  I  listened  for  the  next  remark : 

"Has  he  had  his  supper  ?"  father  asked. 

"No,  he  said  he  didn't  want  any,  and  seemed 
to  be  anxious  to  get  to  bed,"  mother  answered. 

Then  I  heard  father  sit  down  and  I  breathed 
easier  as  he  said :  "No  wonder,  for  the  young 
scamp  ate  all  the  apples  out  of  my  pie  for  my 
dinner  and  left  the  crusts  for  me."  And  they 
both  laughed.  Knowing  that  my  case  was  set- 
tled for  that  time,  I  went  to  sleep. 

When  I  was  eight  years  old,  I  went  to  work 
for  a  Mr.  Fuller  on  a  farm.     His  horses  were 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  3 

large  and  when  I  stood  by  them  I  only  was  as 
high  as  their  shoulders,  and  when  I  put  the 
collars  and  harness  on  them  I  was  obliged  to 
stand  on  the  plow-beam  to  reach  their  backs. 
My  main  work  was  plowing,  and  here  I  stayed 
for  several  years. 

Next  I  worked  for  a  well-to-do  farmer 
named  Sargent,  who  lived  eight  miles  from 
Bedfordshire.  He  employed  me  as  a  fore- 
man on  his  large  farm,  and  gave  me  a  good 
salary.  In  this  position  I  stayed  until  I  joined 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  for  which  I  received  my  discharge. 

I  was  at  this  time  keeping  company  with  an 
excellent  girl,  Mary  Matthews,  both  of  us  be- 
longing to  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  church. 
A  man  named  Sam  Howard,  who  was  an  elder 
in  the  Latter-day  Saints  Church,  told  me  that 
he  had  had  a  revelation  that  there  would  be 
four  persons  baptized  at  a  meeting,  and  I  was 
one  of  them.  I  laughed  at  the  idea ;  but  he  cor- 
dially invited  me  to  attend  a  meeting  and  I 
went  out  of  curiosity  mostly.  When  I  heard 
the  gospel  I  believed.  Mary  also  attended 
these  meetings  and  we  went  into  the  waters  of 


4  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

baptism  together  on  Jan.  1st,  1842;  after  which 
I  was  confirmed  and  ordained  a  priest.  I 
worked  on  Mr.  Coleman's  large  farm  from  this 
time  until  I  came  to  America. 

On  July  10,  1842,  Mary  Matthews  and  I 
were  married  at  Thorncut,  Bedfordshire,  Eng- 
land, by  Rev.  Taddy,  and  on  Jan.  1st,  1843,  we 
left  Thorncut  with  Mr.  Coleman's  family,  in 
a  large  baggage  wagon  en  route  for  America. 
George  Coleman  and  I  drove  the  baggage  in  a 
very  cumbersome  wagon  with  three  strong 
horses  tandem.  It  is  against  the  laws  of  Eng- 
land for  teamsters  to  ride,  and  while  both  of 
us  were  riding,  a  policeman  saw  us  and  gave 
chase.  We  whipped  up  the  horses  and  after 
going  about  three  miles  we  outran  him  and 
slowed  down  again  to  a  peaceable  jog. 

Leaving  our  wagons  at  Wolverhampton  we 
went  by  train  to  Liverpool  where  we  joined 
other  Saints  and  were  enrolled  on  the  good 
ship  "Swanton" — Capt.  Davenport — as  the 
nineteenth  company  of  Latter-day  Saint  emi- 
grants, with  Lorenzo  Snow  as  the  company's 
captain.  We  stayed  at  Liverpool  for  two 
weeks  waiting  for  repairs  on  the  ship,  but  we 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  5 

made  the  vessel  our  home,  doing  our  cooking 
and  sleeping  on  board. 

One  day  Brother  Coleman  said  to  me, 
"Chris,  ain't  you  going  to  peel  some  potatoes 
and  make  us  a  pie?"  So  I  went  to  work  and 
made  the  meat  and  potatoes  into  a  pie;  and 
when  it  was  baked  all  of  the  others  wanted  to 
share  with  us  and  asked  for  a  recipe  for 
"Chris's  pie,"  as  they  called  it. 

On  Jan.  16,  1843,  we  set  sail  from  Liverpool 
and  as  we  slowly  saw  the  land  disappear  in  the 
distance  we  sang  one  of  the  songs  of  Zion  and 
cheered  each  other  with  sympathizing  words. 
We  were  the  first  British  emigrant  company  of 
the  season,  and  numbered  two  hundred  and 
twelve  souls.  We  had  a  pleasant  voyage  across 
the  Atlantic,  during  which  time  just  before 
reaching  the  American  shore  Mary  gave  birth 
to  a  little  son,  whom  we  named  William  M. 
Layton. 

After  sailing  for  seven  weeks  and  three  days 
we  arrived  at  New  Orleans  and  were  trans- 
ferred to,  the  steamer  "Amaranth"  in  which 
we  sailed  up  the  Mississippi  River.  Our  baby 
died  before  we  reached  St.  Lou-is,  being  only 


6  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

about  six  weeks  old.  It  was  buried  on  shore. 
We  arrived  at  St.  Louis  on  March  29,  1843. 

We  were  now  transferred  from  the  steamer 
to  a  barge,  and  here  we  had  to  stay  two  weeks 
waiting  for  the  ice  to  break  up  in  the  river. 
My  wife  was  sick  and  delicate  and  the  weather 
was  raw  and  chilly,  but  we  consoled  ourselves 
with  the  Lord's  promises  and  thanked  Him 
that  we  were  so  near  our  journey's  end.  My 
money  having  given  out,  I  was  obliged  to  bor- 
row $7  of  Prime  Coleman. 

About  the  7th  or  8th  of  April  a  small  steamer 
fastened  a  cable  to  our  barge  and  tugged  us  up 
the  river  to  Nauvoo  where  we  arrived  one  very 
cold  morning,  April  12. 

How  rejoiced  we  were  when  we  were  safely 
across!  And  there  stood  our  Prophet  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  to  welcome  us!  As  he 
heartily  grasped  our  hands,  the  fervently  spok- 
en words,  "God  bless  you,"  sank  deep  into  our 
hearts,  giving  us  a  feeling  of  peace  such  as  we 
had  never  known  before.  The  Saints  had 
congregated  in  front  of  the  old  post  office 
building  to  gladly  welcome  us  to  this  land  and 
the  beautiful  city  of  Nauvoo,  where  the  hos- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  7 

pitalities  of  their  homes  were  kindly  offered  us. 
Brother  Philemon  C.  Merrill  took  my  wife  and 
me  home  with  him;  his  wife  Cyrena  gave  me 
the  first  cup  of  milk  I  had  in  Nauvoo.  Brother 
Merrill  and  Brother  Sam  Price  were  so  good 
to  us  and  treated  me  so  well  that  I  never  want 
to  forget  them. 

On  the  following  day  the  Prophet  Joseph 
called  to  see  us  and  blessed  us.  After  staying 
with  Brother  and  Sister  Merrill  a  few  days 
my  wife  (who  was  still  sick)  and  I  went  home 
with  Jacob  Butterfield. 

The  first  work  I  did  in  Nauvoo  was  digging 
a  well  for  Brother  Wilson,  working  with 
Brother  John  Marriott,  for  which  I  received 
cash.  I  now  paid  Brother  Coleman  back  the 
$7  I  had  borrowed.  The  Lord  had  truly  blessed 
me  as  the  Prophet  had  said,  for  I  had  many 
friends  and  brothers  and  although  I  had  come 
to  Nauvoo  with  only  eight  cents  in  my  pock- 
et I  was  now  able  to  pay  my  debts  and  be  a 
free  man  again,  and  always  had  work.  Next 
I  fenced  in  a  farm  for  Bishop  Hunter. 

Brother  Marriott  and  myself  went  in  with 
some  more  of  the  brethren  to  build  a  house 


8  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

each,  but  as  we  thought  we  were  not  fairly 
dealt  with  and  were  not  satisfied  with  the  ap- 
portionment of  community  property,  we  drew 
out  and  told  Joseph  about  it.  After  counseling 
and  instructing  us  he  gave  us  two  and  a  half 
acres  of  land  each  and  said,  "You  shall  live 
to  see  the  day  when  you  can  buy  out  every- 
one who  has  oppressed  you."  This  prophecy 
has  come  true,  as  has  all  that  noble  man  ever 
uttered  concerning  me. 

We  went  to  work  at  once  at  Big  Mound  and 
built  a  room  10x12  cut  out  of  the  sod.  When 
it  was  pared  down  it  looked  pretty  well.  The 
first  winter  we  had  quilts  for  doors ;  we  had  a 
dirt  floor  and  when  the  beds  were  made  down, 
it  just  about  filled  the  room.  The  next  morn- 
ing after  our  first  night  in  the  new  house  I 
asked  Brother  Marriott,  "What  did  you  dream 
last  night?"  He  laughed  and  said,  "I  didn't 
dream  anything."  I  continued,  "I  did,  I 
dreamed  you  and  I  bought  a  horse,"  at  which 
he  laughed.  "I  traded  my  dress  coat,  and 
you  your  cloak."  Well,  we  went  to  a  man 
named  Hamilton,  who  did  not  belong  to  the 
Church,  but  T  told  him  about  my  dream  and 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  9 

showed  him  what  we  had  to  trade.  He  looked 
at  the  clothes,  and  when  he  found  that  they 
just  fitted  him  he  said,  "Well,  young  men,  I 
don't  take  no  stock  in  your  dreams,  but  you 
shan't  be  disappointed" — and  he  traded  us  a 
nice  four-year-old  mare  for  the  clothes.  We 
were  all  much  pleased  with  the  trade  and  we 
went  on  our  way  rejoicing  at  our  blessings. 
When  we  showed  our  horse  to  our  wives  they 
laughed  and  then  cried,  but  we  did  not  forget 
that  night  to  thank  God  for  prospering  and 
blessing  us. 

Next  we  made  a  contract  to  do  some  ditch- 
ing, for  another  horse ;  then  we  worked  at  cut- 
ting hay  and  earned  a  wagon,  and  with  our 
horses  and  wagon  we  hauled  in  our  wood  for 
winter ;  thus  we  felt  that  the  Lord  had  greatly 
blessed  us. 

Our  Prophet  was  at  this  time  passing 
through  severe  trials  and  persecutions :  his  ene- 
mies sending  threats  to  him  from  time  to  time, 
but  he  was  unruffled  in  his  calm  dignity:  his 
faith  was  so  strong  that  he  knew  no  fear  and 
at  one  time  when  he  was  told  by  his  friends 
that  the  mob  was  after  him,  he  calmly  replied : 


10  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

"Do  not  be  alarmed;  I  have  no  fear  and  shall 
not  flee.  I  will  find  friends  and  the  Missour- 
ians  cannot  slay  me,  I  tell  you  in  the  name  of 
Israel's  God."  He  was  subjected  to  thirty- 
eight  law  suits  against  his  person  and  property 
but  was  never  convicted.  But  what  troubled 
his  soul  was  the  treachery  of  his  friends,  some 
of  whom  were  very  dear  to  him,  one  of  his 
sorest  afflictions  being  the  recreancy  of  Sidney 
Rigdon,  whom  he  had  forgiven  again  and  again 
but  from  whom  he  was  finally  obliged  to  sol- 
emnly withdraw  the  hand  of  fellowship  in  Au- 
gust, 1843. 

His  soul  as  well  as  the  Saints'  were  filled 
with  joy  to  see  the  growth  of  our  beautiful 
city.  From  this  country  and  from  across  the 
sea  faithful  Saints  were  gathering  by  tens  and 
by  hundreds.  Homes  and  factories  were  built 
and  the  walls  of  the  Temple  were  rising  in 
grandeur,  uplifting  our  souls  with  hope  that 
soon  we  would  be  privileged  to  administer  in 
the  holy  ordinances  for  our  living  and  dead. 

On  Aug.  12,  1843,  the  revelation  about  the 
eternity  and  plurality  of  marriage  was  read  be- 
fore the  High  Council  and  Stake  Presidency 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  11 

by  Brother  Hyrum,  who  then  promised  his 
brethren  that  they  who  accepted  it  should  be 
blessed  and  sustained  in  the  Church  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  and  the  confidence  of  the  Saints, 
and  they  who  rejected  it  should  fall  away  in 
their  faith  and  power ;  and  it  was  even  so. 

This  proved  to  be  a  severe  trial  to  many 
and  the  cause  of  apostasy  to  some,  for  the 
teaching  of  this  revelation  has  been  a  test  of 
personal  holiness.  There  is  not  one  word  in 
it  or  was  there  one  word  in  the  Prophet's  teach- 
ings other  than  purity  and  self-sacrifice.  The 
men  who  have  seen  in  this  commandment  a 
holy  and  exalted  duty  and  who  obeyed  it  in 
meekness  and  purity,  have  lived  by  their  faith 
and  have  come  off  triumphant:  while  those 
who  have  sought  through  it  to  minister  to  evil 
passions  have  sunk  and  been  cast  out. 

On  Dec.  1,  1843,  I  received  a  blessing  under 
the  hands  of  the  Patriarch  Hyrum  Smith, 
promising  great  things,  many  of  which  have 
been  fulfilled.  Following  is  a  copy  of  this 
blessing: : 


12  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 


PATRIARCHAL   BLESSING 

By  Hyrum  Smith,  Patriarch,  on  the  head  of 
Christopher  Lay  ton,  son  of  Samuel  and  Isabella 
Lay  ton,  born  at  Thorncut,  England,  March 
8,  1821. 

Brother  Christopher,  I  lay  my  hands  upon 
your  head  in  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
to  place  and  seal  upon  your  head  according  to 
your  lineage,  your  rights  of  priesthood,  or 
your  rights  inherent ;  for  behold,  I  say  unto  you 
that  Priesthood  when  it  hath  power  over  thee 
in  lineal  descent,  as  also  heritance,  otherwise 
there  is  none  inheritance,  nor  any  power  in  the 
Priesthood,  wherein  the  afflictions,  wherein 
the  lame,  the  maimed,  the  blind  may  be  healed : 
Behold,  I  say  unto  you,  Christopher,  you  are  a 
descendant  from  the  loins  of  Jacob,  also  passing 
through  the  lineage  and  tribe,  or  from  the 
loins,  of  Levi :  therefore  you  have  a  right  to  the 
prophetic  visions,  or  the  blessings  according  to 
the  prophetic  declaration,  of  that  lineage.  If 
you  will  but  ask  you  shall  receive ;  if  you  will 
but  seek,  you  shall  find;  and  if  you  will  but 
knock,  the  mysteries  of  God  shall  be  unfolded 
to  you,  and  you  shall  be  blessed  in  your  house 
and  habitation,  in  your  fields  and  flocks,  in  the 
lineage  of  your  posterity,  in  your  testimony 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  13 

and  in  your  mission  and  calling  wherein  you 
are  called,  and  the  day  cometh  when  you  will 
stand  in  your  place  according  to  your  appoint- 
ments upon  Zion,  the  city  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem with  your  posterity  to  enter  into  the  pos- 
session of  your  inheritance  and  your  name  shall 
be  perpetuated  with  the  blessings  of  the  Priest- 
hood in  the  lineage  of  your  posterity  unto  the 
latest  generation,  and  your  years  shall  be 
lengthened  out  according  to  your  faith.  These 
blessings  I  seal  upon  your  head.  Even  so. 
Amen. 

Following  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  which  we 
wrote  to  my  wife's  parents  in  England,  enclos- 
ing my  wife's  blessing: 

Nauvoo,  III.,  March  9th,  1844. 
Dear  Father  and  Mother:  It  is  with 
pleasure  that  we  write  a  few  lines  unto  you, 
hoping  to  find  you  well  as  it  leaves  us  at  this 
time,  and  we  are  both  living  happily  together, 
rejoicing  in  the  Lord  and  we  hope  you  will 
make  yourselves  happy  about  us.  We  never 
wish  to  come  to  England  again  to  live  but  if 
we  had  means  we  would  gladly  cross  the  sea 
and  fetch  you  here,  for  our  fathers  could  get 
a  living  easier  here  than  they  can  in  England, 
and  if  you  will  obey  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Lord  shall  open  a  way  for  you  to  come,  for 


14  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

there  is  a  great  many  aged  people  come  here, 
older  than  any  of  you,  and  the  Lord  blesses 
them  for  so  doing.  The  Prophet  preached  at 
the  Temple  on  the  8th  of  March  in  the  morn- 
ing and  one  of  the  Twelve  in  the  afternoon. 
The  news  was  glorious ;  they  said  the  Saints 
were  thirsting  after  holiness  and  living  in 
unity  of  the  spirit ;  there  never  was  such  a  cry 
for  holiness  as  there  is  at  this  present  time ; 
there  are  a  great  many  of  them  say  they  are 
willing  to  do  whatever  the  Lord  commands 
them,  and  the  work  of  God  is  prospering  all 
round;  the  Prophet  is  revealing  glorious 
things,  and  he  wishes  the  brethren  would  get 
the  Temple  on  the  8th  of  March  in  the  morn- 
receive  power  from  on  high;  after  they  have 
received  it  they  will  come  to  England  with 
great  power,  the  gospel  will  then  prove  a  savor 
of  life  unto  life  to  all  that  believe  and  a  savor 
of  death  to  all  that  believe  not,  but  we  hope 
you  will  all  believe  it  and  obey. 

It  is  customary  in  this  country  for  the  Saints 
to  receive  their  patriarchal  blessing  when  they 
get  here  and  we  have  received  ours  and 
send  them  for  you  to  read.  The  two  bless- 
ings will  be  literally  fulfilled  upon  us  inasmuch 
as  we  are  faithful  and  keep  the  commandments 
of  God;  give  our  love  to  Father  and  Mother 
Layton;  we  wish  for  them  to  read  this  letter 
and  have  a  copy  of  the  blessings,  if  they  desire 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  15 

it.  We  sent  a  letter  to  them  three  weeks  ago 
by  post;  we  intend  to  send  this  by  Mrs.  Field- 
ing, and  one  to  Brother  and   Sister  Martin. 

Brother  S has  not  the  means  to  come  at 

present. 

Dear  Mother,  I  would  be  glad  if  you  would 
favor  me  in  sending  me  word  of  the  names  of 
your  father  and  mother  so  that  I  may  be  bap- 
tized for  them  and  claim  them  at  the  first  res- 
urrection, for  we  that  come  into  this  Church 
have  not  only  to  save  ourselves  but  our  dead 
friends ;  but  if  you  will  come  in  this  covenant  it 
will  cause  our  hearts  to  rejoice  and  yours  will 
rejoice  when  meeting  those  that  have  long  slept 
in  the  dust.  I  hope  my  dear  father  will  not  let 
the  world  see  this  letter  for  it  is  only  for  our 
friends  and  the  Saints. 

Brother  Warden  is  not  come  up  yet  so  we 
have  not  received  our  parcels  as  yet,  only  those 
which  came  in  your  letter,  and  I  was  much 
pleased  with  you  for  your  kindness.  Please 
to  give  our  love  to  Brother  and  Sister  Hall. 
Please  to  send  me  word  how  they  are  getting 
along  and  I  hope  they  will  obey  the  gospel. 
Sister  Shult  has  sent  me  a  letter  by  Mr.  Field- 
ing,— we  are  living  with  Brother  Marriott,  but 
our  house  is  nearly  done  so  that  we  can  go  in 
it  in  a  week  or  two.  Give  our  love  to  brother 
Willie  and  his  wife,  and  I  hope  they  are  both 
rejoicing  in  the  Lord.    Give  our  love  to  broth- 


16  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

er  George  and  his  wife  and  I  hope  they  will 
obey  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  otherwise  they 
cannot  inherit  a  celestial  glory.  Give  our  love 
to  Brother  and  Sister  Lee  and  Brother  and 
Sister  Garner  and  Sister  Sarah  Martin  and 
T.  E.  Foxley.  We  remain  your  loving  son  and 
daughter, 

C.  and  M.  Layton. 

PATRIARCHAL  BLESSING 

On  the  head  of  Mary  Matthews  Layton,  giv- 
en by  Hyrum  Smith  at  Nauvoo,  III.,  on  Dee. 
i,  1843. 

Sister  Mary,  I  lay  my  hands  upon  your 
head  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  bless  you.  Be- 
hold I  say  unto  you,  Mary,  you  shall  be  blessed 
with  prosperity,  spiritually  and  temporally,  ac- 
cording as  you  have  desired,  to  be  received  in 
due  time,  as  touching  your  house  and  habita- 
tion, possessions  and  permanent  flocks  and 
fields;  nevertheless  there  are  many  trials  and 
many  perplexities  in  this  life  but  in  the  world 
to  come  there  is  eternal  life,  a  crown  of  im- 
mortality laid  up  for  you.  This  is  a  promise 
unto  you,  to  be  a  blessing  and  a  comfort  in  all 
time  to  come :  therefore  lift  up  your  head  and 
be  glad;  behold,  look  and  live;  remember  the 
word  from  the  sacred  article,  that  are  precepts, 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  17 

and  there  is  a  blessing  by  promise  upon  your 
posterity  and  an  inheritance  in  the  lineage  of 
your  fathers,  in  the  lineage  of  Abraham  ac- 
cording to  the  covenants  of  grace,  even  unto 
fullness,  to  be  received  in  fulfillment- of  prom- 
ises obtained  by  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  to 
be  answered  upon  their  children  in  this  dis- 
pensation of  the  fullness  of  times,  or  unto  their* 
generations  after  them ;  and  your  blessing  in 
all  things  shall  be  in  common  with  your  hus- 
band and  your  name  shall  be  perpetuated  in  the 
line  of  your  posterity  and  your  years  shall  be 
multiplied  as  a  blessing  unto  you.  These  bless- 
ings I  seal  upon  your  head.    Even  so.  Amen. 


18  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 


CHAPTER  II. 

THREE   BITTER  YEARS — 1844-'5-'6. 

The  Deed  at  Carthage — Sorrows  and  Persecutions 
— Nauvoo  Evacuated  —  Migration  Westward, 
"We  Knew  Not  Where." 

IN  the  spring  of  1844  I  became  acquainted 
with  some  of  the  apostles  and  had  many 
friends  among  the  Saints,  for  we  all  loved  each 
other  and  shielded  and  protected  Joseph  as 
much  as  lay  in  our  power.  One  of  my  duties 
was  to  guard  the  authorities,  and  also  to  help 
guard  the  Temple. 

I  rented  a  tract  of  land  containing  forty 
acres,  took  Nealy's  team  of  five  yoke  of  oxen 
and  broke  the  prairie  and  planted  it  in  eorn. 
It  yielded  a  good  crop,  from  which  I  realized 
ten  cents  a  bushel  (many  selling  corn  that  year 
for  three  or  four  cents  a  bushel).  My  wife 
made  and  sold  bobinet  lace  and  we  prospered 
well. 

During  the  months  of  May  and  June  the  life 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  19 

of  the  Prophet  Joseph  was  harassed,  annoyed, 
and  finally  in  the  latter  month  taken  by  the 
mob  at  Carthage  jail.  But  the  work  of  the 
Church  was  still  carried  on  in  Nauvoo,  for  in 
May  missionaries  were  set  apart  for  a  mission 
to  England  and  the  apostles  were  scattered  over 
the  Eastern  States. 

On  the  16th  of  June  Brother  Joseph 
preached  to  the  assembled  Saints  in  the  grove 
east  of  the  Temple  (while  the  rain  fell  heavily), 
from  the  revelations  of  St.  John  the  Divine. 
After  the  city  had  been  declared  under  martial 
law,  the  Legion  was  drawn  up  in  front  of  the 
Mansion  House  and  the  Prophet,  standing 
upon  the  framework  of  a  building  opposite,  ad- 
dressed them.  He  asked  us  if  we  loved  him? 
if  we  would  stand  by  him  and  sustain  the 
laws  of  our  country?  And  we  all  answered, 
"Yes,  yes."  Then  he  said  he  was  content;  he 
would  die  for  us.  "I  love  you,  my  brethren; 
greater  love  hath  no  man  than  that  he  lay  down 
his  life  for  his  friends ;  you  have  stood  by  me 
in  the  hour  of  trouble,  and  I  am  willing  to 
sacrifice  my  life  for  your  preservation. "  Then 
drawing  his  sword — "I  call  God  and  angels  to 


20  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

witness  that  this  people  shall  have  their  legal 
rights  or  my  blood  shall  be  spilt  upon  the 
ground  *  *  *  and  my  body  consigned  to 
the  tomb,  but  if  there  is  one  drop  of  blood 
shed  on  this  occasion,  the  sword  shall  never 
again  be  sheathed  until  Christ  comes  to  reign 
'  over  the  earth.  *  *  *  Peace  shall  be  tak- 
en from  the  land  which  permits  these  crimes 
against  the  Saints  to  go  unavenged.  *  *  * 
May  God  bless  you  forever  and  ever."  And 
we  all  answered,  Amen. 

On  the  20th  of  June  Brother  Joseph  sent 
word  to  all  the  apostles  to  return  home  im- 
mediately; and  on  the  24th  he,  with  seventeen 
others,  went  to  Carthage. 

At  this  time  I  was  living  at  Big  Mound, 
an  English  settlement  about  eight  miles  from 
Nauvoo,  and  there,  while  engaged  in  putting 
in  sod  corn  I  heard  of  the  Prophet's  and  Hy- 
rum's  death.  The  next  morning  I  started  to 
Carthage  with  those  who  went  after  the 
bodies.  We  met  them  on  the  road,  Dr.  Rich- 
ards having  dressed  the  wounds  of  John  Tay- 
lor and  started  for  Nauvoo  with  Joseph's,  and 
Hvrum's  bodies. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  21 

The  wailing  of  the  Saints  when  they  saw 
the  martyrs  was  terrible.  Ten  thousand  peo- 
ple were  addressed  by  Apostle  Richards,  who 
admonished  them  to  keep  the  peace  and  trust 
to  the  law  for  a  remedy  for  the  awful  crimes 
which  had  been  committed  and  if  the  law 
failed,  to  call  upon  God  in  heaven  to  avenge 
us  of  our  wrongs.  The  bodies  were  placed  in 
coffins,  the  funeral  was  held,  while  deep  grief 
rilled  our  hearts  and  sorrow  rested  heavily  upon 
us — a  stricken  people.  The  woe  of  the  Saints 
cannot  be  described.  Our  Prophet  and  Patri- 
arch dead,  only  two  of  the  apostles  with  us  and 
one  of  them  supposed  to  be  dying,  and  all  this 
time  we  were  in  constant  expectation  of  an  at- 
tack by  the  mob  army. 

Our  enemies  were  sure  now  that  they  had 
destroyed  the  gospel  work,  but  it  still  lives, 
and  will  live,  for  it  is  the  eternal  work  of  God, 
and  I  here  bear  my  testimony  that  I  know  that 
Joseph  Smith,  who  established  it,  was  a  Proph- 
et holy  and  pure. 

Like  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  we  felt  lost 
and  bewildered,  and  seriously  we  discussed  the 
question,  "Who  was  highest  in  authority?  Who 


H  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

held  the  keys  of  the  kingdom?"  On  August 
6  the  apostles  arrived  from  the  East,  while  we 
were  still  uncertain  about  choosing  a  guardian 
of  the  Church  and  it  was  a  great  relief  to  greet 
them  among  us.  A  council  of  the  priesthood 
was  called  and  it  was  not  long  before,  with  the 
Twelve  at  the  head,  we  felt  that  all  things 
would  be  managed  and  directed  aright.  In 
the  person  of  the  President  of  the  Twelve, 
Brigham  Young,  we  knew  that  a  great  char- 
acter had  arisen,  to  build  upon  the  foundation 
laid  by  Joseph  Smith,  a  kingdom  whose  equal 
"there  never  was  in  the  world."  Now  feeling  at 
peace,  we  pursued  our  usual  work:  the  work 
on  the  Temple  was  pushed  forward  as  rapidly 
as  possible. 

On  August  17,  1844,  a  little  daughter  was 
born  to  us,  at  Nauvoo,  and  we  named  her 
Elizabeth  M. 

In  the  fall  of  1844  I  moved  to  La  Harpe,  111. 
John  Marriott  and  I  worked  for  Mr.  White, 
and  in  the  spring  of  '45,  we  rented  the  farm 
of  him  and  put  in  a  crop  of  corn,  and  had  a 
good  yield.  Brother  Coleman's  boys  came  to 
La  Harpr  and  worked,  taking  grain  for  pay 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  23 

and  we  stored  their  grain  on  our  place.  After 
harvest  we  returned  to  Big  Mound. 

Four  of  us  took  up  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  and  divided  it  between  us;  I 
built  a  house  on  my  forty  acres — one  mile  from 
the  Mound.  An  old  lady  was  living  on  one 
corner  of  my  forty,  and  she  was  taken  sick 
with  typhoid  fever.  It  seemed  too  bad  for  her 
to  be  there  all  alone  and  I  asked  my  wife  to 
go  and  take  care  of  her.  She  said  she  had 
thought  about  it,  but  did  not  know  how  I 
would  get  along  with  the  cooking  work,  etc. ; 
but  I  told  her  to  go,  I'd  get  along  all  right. 
So  she  went,  but  the  lady  soon  died,  and  then 
Mary  was  taken  down  with  the  same  fever. 
I  moved  her  to  Sam  Payne's  house  where  she 
could  have  better  care,  but  in  Sept.,  1845,  she 
quietly  passed  away  from  us.  I  walked  three 
miles  but  could  get  no  lumber  and  was  obliged 
to  take  a  log,  and  I  helped  to  hew  a  coffin  out 
of  that,  then  I  carried  it  back  on  my  shoulders, 
then,  with  three  teams,  we  went  to  Nauvoo  and 
buried  her.  Thus  I  was  left  alone  with  my 
little  girl  of  thirteen  months. 

Among  my  neighbors  were  two  good  friends, 


24  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Wm.  B.  Smith  and  his  excellent  wife,  who  had 
no  children,  and  they  took  my  baby  and  cared 
for  her  as  tenderly  as  they  could  have  done  for 
their  own;  they  learned  to  love  her  so  dearly 
and  she  became  so  attached  to  them  that  they 
could  not  give  her  up  and  she  remanied  in  their 
family  until  she  was  married  in  1861.* 

In  January,  1845,  the  legislature,  yielding  to 
popular  clamor,  repealed  the  charter  of  the  city 
of  Nauvoo.  We  now  had  no  protection  what- 
ever. 

In  the  spring  of  1845  I  was  ordained  an 
Elder. 

On  April  8,  1845,  Brigham  Young  received 
a  letter  of  advice  from  Gov.  Ford  of  Illinois, 
saying  we  had  better  get  off  by  ourselves, 
where  we  might  enjoy  peace,  and  counseling 


*On  April  11,  1861,  Elizabeth  M.  Layton  mar- 
ried William  W.  Galbraith  at  Kaysville,  Utah,  by 
whom  she  had  six  children,  five  boys  and  one  girl; 
two  boys  are  dead.  In  1889  they  moved  to  Mex- 
ico, where  she  still  resides.  In  April,  1897,  W.  W. 
Galbraith  was  taken  sick  and  after  lingering  nine 
months  he  passed  away  on  Jan.  1st,  1898.  He 
died  in  full  faith  in  the  gospel,  exhorting  all  the 
family  to  be  true  to  it;  leaving  four  wives  and 
twenty-three  living  children  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
a  kind  husband  and  loving  father. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  25 

him  to  take  us  "out  to  California."  This  was 
unnecessary  as  we  were  already  making  prep- 
arations to  carry  into  effect  the  plan  which  the 
Prophet  Joseph  had  given  of  finding  a  place 
of  refuge  in  the  West  beyond  the  Rockies. 

In  May  a  faint  effort  was  made  to  bring 
the  murderers  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  to  justice, 
but  after  a  trial  they  were  "honorably  acquit- 
ted," which  news  made  the  mob  element  so 
bold  that  they  committed  fresh  outrages. 
Houses  were  burned  and  people  driven  from 
place  to  place,  till,  fearing  massacre,  the  Saints 
living  in  the  settlements  came  into  Nauvoo  for 
protection.  On  May  24  the  walls  of  the  Temple 
were  finished,  Brigham  laying  the  last  stone 
in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  Saints,  and 
pronouncing  a  benediction  ;  the  Saints  shouting 
"Hosanna  to  God  and  the  Lamb,  Amen  and 
Amen." 

After  my  wife's  death  in  September  I  went 
to  see  about  the  grain  I  had  left  stored  at 
La  Harpe,  and  while  there  a  mob  broke  out. 
I  was  riding  a  fine  mare  noted  for  her  racing 
qualities  and  I  started  back  toward  Nauvoo. 
Some  of  the  mobbers  seeing  me  came  after 


26  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

me,  but  I  encouraged  my  mare  to  try  her 
speed  and  we  soon  left  them  far  behind. 

On  October  5  the  first  meeting  was  held  in 
the  Temple;  the  apostles  administering  in  the 
holy  ordinances  to  hundreds  of  people,  con- 
tinuing day  and  night;  and  by  the  end  of  De- 
cember, over  a  thousand  had  received  these 
ordinances ;  all  this  was  done  while  we  were 
making  preparations  to  leave  the  city.  These 
were  busy  and  sad  times.  Hundreds  were 
making  tents  and  wagon  covers  and  packing 
preparatory  to  leaving  their  homes ;  companies 
were  organized  and  numbered,  each  with  its 
wagon  shop,  wheelwrights,  carpenters,  etc.,  and 
all  busily  employed.  It  was  intended  that  each 
family  of  5  persons  should  have  1  good  wagon, 
3  yoke  of  cattle,  2  cows,  3  sheep,  1,000  lbs.  of 
flour,  20  lbs.  sugar,  1  rifle  and  ammunition,  a 
tent  and  poles,  from  10  to  20  lbs.  of  seeds,  25 
to  100  lbs.  farming  tools,  bedding  and  cooking 
utensils.  But  many  a  family  were  driven  out 
with  almost  nothing. 

I  came  out  from  Nauvoo  with  the  first  com- 
pany of  exiles,  my  team  pulling  the  little  can- 
non called  the  "Old  Sow."     We  crossed  the 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  27 

Mississippi  River  on  the  ice  on  February  6, 
1846. 

"We've  left  the  City  of  Nauvoo, 
And  our  beloved  Temple,  too; 
And  to  the  wilderness  we  go, 
Amid  the  winter  frosts  and  snow." 

— Eliza  Snow. 

That  night  we  camped  in  the  snow,  sleep- 
ing in  our  wagons,  and  before  morning  there 
were  nine  new  babies  in  our  camp. 

On  the  7th  Brother  Brigham  organized  the 
camp  in  order  for  traveling.  All  of  the  exiles 
pushed  on  to  Sugar  Creek,  nine  miles  into 
Iowa,  and  from  there  a  new  start  was  taken, 
the  advance  companies  having  waited  until  all 
had  arrived.  It  was  bitterly  cold,  and  much 
suffering  had  been  endured.  Now  the  labor 
of  temporary  organization  began.  Getting  in- 
to a  wagon,  Brother  Brigham  said  in  a  voice 
clear  and  distinct :  "Attention,  the  whole  camp 
of  Israel!"  Then  he  gave  us  plain  practical 
instructions  as  to  the  order  and  arrangement 
of  the  camp;  with  a  tone  of  authority,  tem- 
pered with  love  and  firmness,  he  told  us :  "We 
will  have  no  laws  we  cannot  keep,  but  we  will 
have  order  in  the  camp.     If  any  want  to  live 


28  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

in  peace  when  we  have  left  this  place,  they 
must  toe  the  mark." 

Our  orders  were  to  advance  on  the  1st  of 
March,  and  about  noon  on  that  day  we  broke 
encampment  and  soon  nearly  four  hundred 
wagons  were  moving  to — we  knew  not  where. 

While  here,  Sister  Eliza  R.  Snow  composed 
two  poems  applicable  to  the  occasion,  one  of 
which  is  given  below : 

CAMP  OF  ISRAEL. 
No.  2. 

Lo,  a  mighty  host  of  Jacob, 

Tented  on  the  western  shore 
Of  the  noble  Mississippi, 

They  had  crossed,  to  cross  no  more. 
At  the  last  day-dawn  of  winter, 

Bound  with  frost  and  wrapped  in  snow; 
Hark!  the  cry  is  "Onward,  onward! 

Camp  of  Israel,  rise  and  go." 

All  at  once  is  life  and  motion — 

Trunks,  and  beds,  and  baggage  fly; 
Oxen  yoked,  and  horses  harnessed, 

Tents  rolled  up  and  passing  by: 
Soon  the  carriage  wheels  are  moving, 

Onward  to  a  woodland  dell, 
Where  at  sunset  all  are  quartered — 

Camp  of  Israel,  all  is  well. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  29 

Thickly  'round  the  tents  are  clustered, 

Neighb'ring  smokes  together  blend; 
Supper  served,  the  hymns  are  chanted, 

And  the  evening  prayers  ascend. 
Last  of  all  the  guards  are  stationed — 

Heavens!  must  guards  be  serving  here? 
Who  would  harm  the  houseless  exiles? 

Camp  of  Israel,  never  fear. 

Where  is  Freedom?     Where  is  Justice? 

Both  have  from  this  nation  fled; 
And  the  blood  of  martyred  Prophets 

Must  be  answered  on  its  head! 
Therefore,  to  your  tents,  O  Jacob! 

Like  our  father  Abra'm  dwell; 
God  will  execute  His  purpose — 

Camp  of  Israel,  all  is  well. 

We  moved  slowly  onward  only  making  five 
miles  the  first  day,  and  thus  the  weary  march 
was  slowly  continued  from  day  to  day  in  mud, 
snow  and  rain ;  but  sustained  by  Divine  power, 
we  pressed  on  in  search  of  a  new  home.  I 
traveled  with  the  Presidency.  We  were  often 
delayed  by  freshets,  one  time  having  to  wait 
for  three  weeks  to  cross  Shoal  Creek  near  the 
Chariton  River. 

We  made  a  halt  at  last  at  a  place  which  we 


30  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

named  Garden  Grove  and  built  some  log  huts 
and  planted  corn,  some  remaining  to  culti- 
vate the  same  and  prepare  a  resting  place  for 
the  weary  Saints  who  should  follow  us,  while 
the  main  body  of  the  camp  moved  on  to  another 
halting  place.  Because  I  remained  at  Garden 
Grove  some  of  the  men  wanted  to  take  my 
team  to  move  the  Saints,  but  Brother  Brigham 
said:  "No;  this  man  has  cut  brush  to  keep 
us  warm,  while  you  were  warming  yourselves 
at  the  fire  he  made  and  you  can't  have  his 
team." 

On  again  till  we  reached  a  place  which 
Apostle  Parley  Pratt  had  named  Mt.  Pisgah, 
and  here  we  made  another  station  for  those 
who  should  follow.  All  hands  went  to  work, 
some  breaking  sod,  dragging  down  and  get- 
ting land  in  order,  while  others, — I  among 
them — split  rails  and  fenced  in  the  big  field 
all  ready  for  planting.  This  was  all  done  in 
one  day,  and  at  night  we  had  singing,  a  dance, 
and  then  each  family  had  their  prayers  and  we 
slept  peacefully,  and  safe  in  our  Heavenly 
Father's  care. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  31 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  GOVERNMENT'S  CALL. 

Five  Hundred  Men  Asked  For — Mustering  and 
Marching — Brave  Looks  but  Sore  Hearts— 
Brigham  Young's  Promise. 

ABOUT  June  15,  1846,  Brigham  Young, 
with  the  vanguard  of  the  migrating 
trains,  reached  the  Missouri  River,  followed 
by  the  main  body  in  July.  We  stopped  at  a 
place  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  which  we 
named  Kanesville,  but  it  is  now  known  as 
Council  Bluffs.  The  Pottawatomie  and  Oma- 
ha Indians  were  very  friendly  and  later  in  the 
season,  in  what  is  now  called  Florence,  Neb., 
we  founded  the  celebrated  Winter  Quarters, 
with  a  population  of  about  four  thousand  souls. 
It  was  the  intention  of  our  leader  to  hasten 
onward  that  summer  and  fall  with  a  band  of 
pioneers  to  explore  the  Rocky  Mountains.  "The 
muster  for  volunteers,  for  this  purpose,  was  in 
progress  at  Mount  Pisgah,  under  the  direction 


32  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

of  Apostle  Woodruff  who  had  recently  re- 
turned from  England,  when  the  Mormon  na- 
tion of  twelve  thousand  souls,  stretching  across 
the  whole  of  Iowa,  was  startled  by  a  call  for 
volunteers — for  a  Mormon  Battalion — to  do 
battle  for  their  country  against  Mexico.  This 
event  changed  the  plans,  and  the  Saints  were 
compelled  to  remain  in  Winter  Quarters,  and 
in  the  other  settlements  in  Iowa,  over  winter."* 

Great  was  the  consternation  in  camp  at 
Mount  Pisgah,  when  on  June  26,  1846,  it  was 
told  among  us  that  a  United  States  officer  had 
called  for  volunteers,  and  naturally  we  thought 
it  was  only  another  threat  being  carried  out. 

That  there  may  be  a  better  understanding 
of  the  call  from  the  United  States  I  will  quote 
from  the  "Life  of  Brigham  Young,"  showing 
how  it  originated : 

"About  the  time  that  the  Saints  left  Nau- 
voo,  Elder  Samuel  Brannan  sailed  with  two 
hundred  and  thirty-five  Mormons,  on  the  ship 
'Brooklyn'  for  California,  intending  to  join 
those  who  left  Nauvoo  somewhere  on  the  Pa- 
cific Coast.     Before  sailing  from  New  York, 


kLife  of  Brigham  Young. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  33 

Brannan  entered  into  a  peculiar  agreement 
with  one  A.  G.  Benson,  who  represented  a 
company  of  Washington  sharpers,  requiring 
the  Mormons  to  transfer  to  said  Benson  and 
Co.  the  odd  numbers  of  all  the  lands  and  town 
lots  which  they  might  acquire  in. the  country 
where  they  should  settle.  *  *  *  Brannan 
was  prevailed  upon  to  sign  such  an  agreement 
and  he  forwarded  it  to  the  Mormon  leaders 
for  their  approval  and  signatures,  with  the 
information  that  if  they  did  not  sign  the  docu- 
ment President  Polk  would  issue  a  proclama- 
tion setting  forth  that  it  was  the  intention  of 
the  Mormons  to  take  sides  with  either  Mexico 
or  Great  Britain,  which  latter  country  then 
claimed  Oregon,  in  the  impending  struggle 
against  the  United  States ;  intercept  them,  and 
order  them  to  be  disarmed  and  dispersed ;  but 
if  they  did  sign,  then  they  were  to  be  allowed 
to  proceed  unmolested.  When  this  strange 
document  came  to  President  Young,  he  called  a 
council  of  the  Twelve,  (Sugar  Creek,  Feb. 
17,  1846),  resulting  in  the  emphatic  rejection 
of  the  proposition  without  a  reply.  'We  con- 
cluded that  our  trust  is  in  God,  and  we  look 
to  Him  for  protection/  said  they,  and,  added 
President  Young,  This  is  a  plan  of  political 
demagogues  to  rob  the  Latter-day  Saints  of 
millions  and  compel  them  to  submit  to  it  by 
threats  of  Federal  bayonets/ 


34  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

"The  appearance  of  Captain  J.  Allen  in 
Mount  Pisgah,  however,  was  not  due  to  the 
Brannan  letter  but  resulted  from  a  different 
cause.  *  *  *  Shortly  after  the  Saints  left 
Nauvoo,  Brigham  Young  had  sent  Elder  Jesse 
C.  Little  to  Washington  to  try  to  obtain  aid,  if 
possible,  from  the  nation,  to  assist  them  in  their 
march.  It  was  thought  that  they  might  be 
permitted  to  freight  government  provisions 
and  stores  to  Oregon  and  other  Pacific  Coast 
points.  Elder  Little  succeeded  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  assistance  was  about  to  be  granted, 
when  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with  Mex- 
ico determined  President  Polk  upon  the  de- 
sign of  hurriedly  taking  possession  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  of  using  the  migrating  Mormons 
for  this  purpose.  This  project  was  matured 
and  about  to  be  carried  out,  when  it  was 
changed  through  the  influence  of  Senator 
Thomas  Benton,  an  old  enemy  of  the  Mor- 
mons— a  Missourian.  Another  plan  was  then 
adopted,  which  involved  a  call  for  five  hundred 
Mormon  volunteers  to  form  a  part  of  the  force 
which  was  to  invade  New  Mexico  and  Cali- 
fornia, under  Gen.  Kearney,  the  commander  of 
the  army  of  the  West,  then  at  Santa  Fe.  When 
the  commander  received  the  President's  order, 
he  detailed  Captain  Allen  to  proceed  to  the 
camps  of  the  Saints,  muster  the  battalion,  and 
inarch  them  to  Fort  Leavenworth  there  to  be 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  35 

armed  and  prepared  for  service,  then  to  fol- 
low the  trail  of  Gen.  Kearney  and  the  main 
army. 

"To  this  day  there  is  a  difference  of  opin- 
ion as  to  whether  it  was  meant  for  the  good  or 
destruction  of  the  Mormons.  The  Saints  in 
that  day  viewed  it  in  the  latter  light.  The 
leaders  looked  upon  it  as  a  test  of  loyalty  of 
the  Mormons  to  their  country,  and  so,  when 
the  recruiting  officer  came  to  Brigham  Young 
at  Council  Bluffs,  *  *  *  he  promptly  re- 
plied: 'You  shall  have  your  Battalion,  Cap- 
tain Allen,  and  if  there  are  not  young  men 
enough,  we  will  take  the  old  men,  and  if  they 
are  not  enough,  we  will  take  the  women.'  * 
*  *  *  Men  were  sent  to  all  the  camps  to 
summon  to  headquarters  the  old  men  and  the 
boys  to  supply  the  place  of  the  men — the 
strength  of  the  people — who  were  enlisted  in 
the  Battalion.  Taking  up  the  keynote  from 
the  leader,  'You  shall  have  your  Battalion; 
leading  elders  cheerfully  responded  to  the  call." 

Others  fell  into  line,  for  had  not  our  leader 
said : 

"We  must  raise  this  Battalion.  It  is  right; 
and  who  cares  for  sacrificing  our  comfort  for 
a  few  years?  I  say  unto  you,  magnify  the 
laws.     There  is  no  law  in  the  United  States, 


36  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

or  in  the  Constitution,  but  I  am  ready  to  make 
honorable." 

Col.  Thomas  L.  Kane,  who  was  present  at 
the  time  of  the  muster,  says :  "A  central  mass 
meeting  for  council,  an  American  flag  brought 
out  from  the  storehouse  of  things  rescued  and 
hoisted  to  the  top  of  a  tree  mast,  and  in  three 
days  the  force  was  reported,  mustered,  or- 
ganized and  ready  to  march. " 

One  circumstance  I  well  remember :  some  of 
the  women,  feeling  sure  that  they  would  never 
see  their  husbands  again,  said  they  would  nev- 
er live  to  be  a  soldier's  widow,  and  one  lady 
remarked,  "I  would  rather  be  a  soldier's  widow 
than  a  coward's  wife ;"  and  that  was  the  feel- 
ing that  our  brave  women  had  when  they  had 
to  part  with  their  loved  ones;  each  one  being 
brave  for  another's  sake. 

Our  noble  leaders,  though  anxious  and  trou- 
ble-worn, seemed  desirous  of  throwing  off  the 
burden  of  heavy  and  sorrowful  thoughts,  and 
on  our  last  afternoon  together  we  had  a  fare- 
well ball  in  the  bowery,  they  leading  off  in  the 
dance.  At  sunset  we  had  a  song  and  an  elder 
asked   the   blessings   of   heaven    on    all    who, 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  37 

with  purity  of  heart  and  brotherhood  of  spir- 
it, had  mingled  in  this  society,  and  we  all  went 
to  our  camps. 

The  parting  cannot  be  described  which  took 
place  on  the  16th  of  July,  1846.  As  we  were 
marching  past  Sister  Smith's  camp,  she  held 
up  my  little  girl  to  see  me  and  she  shook  her 
hand  and  said,  "by-by."  My  heart  was  full 
and  I  waved  my  hand  and  marched  on,  leav- 
ing behind  me  all  I  had  on  earth — my  baby 
daughter.  But  she  was  in  good  hands,  while 
many  were  leaving  wives  and  little  ones  with 
scant  food  and  clothing — we  could  only  com- 
mit them  all  to  our  kind  Heavenly  Father's 
care  and  protection. 

President  Young  had  encouraged  us  by  say- 
ing that  our  families  should  be  well  cared  for, 
at  least  fare  as  well  as  he  did,  and  that  he 
would  see  that  they  were  helped  along.  He 
also  said  that  not  one  of  those  that  had  en- 
listed would  fall  by  the  nation's  foe,  that  our 
only  fighting  would  be  with  wild  beasts;  that 
there  would  not  be  as  many  bullets  whistle 
around  our  ears  as  did  around  Dr.  Willard 
Richards'  in  Carthage  jail ;  and  improbable  as 


38  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

it  naturally  looked  at  the  time  and  during  our 
travels,  still  these  predictions  were  literally 
fulfilled. 

We  were  marched  to  the  Missouri  River,  a 
distance  of  eight  miles,  to  purchase  blankets 
and  other  necessary  articles  for  the  campaign ; 
and  here  on  the  18th  of  July,  Elders  Young, 
Kimball,  P.  P.  Pratt,  Richards,  Taylor  and 
Woodruff  met  in  council  with  the  officers  and 
gave  us  our  last  charge  and  blessing,  with  a 
firm  promise  that  "on  condition  of  faithfulness 
on  our  part,  our  lives  should  be  spared,  our  ex- 
pedition should  result  in  good  and  our  names 
should  be  held  in  honorable  remembrance  to 
all  generations.  We  must  remember  our 
prayers,  always  revere  the  name  of  Deity,  and 
virtue  and  cleanliness  must  be  strictly  ob- 
served ;  treat  all  men  with  kindness ;  never  take 
that  which  did  not  belong  to  us,  even  from  our 
worst  enemies;  always  treat  all  prisoners  with 
kindness  and  never  take  life  when  it  could  be 
avoided." 

Captain  Allen,  our  commander,  was  a  brave, 
manly  officer  with  pleasing,  kindly  manners 
and  soon  gained  the  good-will  of  our  people 
as  well  as  their  love. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  39 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    MORMON    BATTALION. 
From  the   Bluffs  to   Leavenworth — Death  of  Col. 
Allen — Weary  March   Westward — An   Inhuman 
Surgeon — Arrival  at  Santa  Fe. 

1  JOIN  ED  the  Mormon  Battalion  of  Iowa 
Volunteers,  Company  C,  Infantry,  as  a  pri- 
vate, my  number  being  47.  The  officers  of  Com- 
pany C  were :  James  Brown,  Captain ;  George 
W.  Rosecrans,  First  Lieutenant;  Samuel 
Thompson,  Second  Lieutenant;  Robert  Gift, 
Third  Lieutenant. 

There  also  accompanied  us  several  families 
of  the  soldiers,  the  women  acting  as  laundresses 
for  the  companies ;  also  some  boys  who  were 
too  young  for  soldiers  and  served  as  servants 
to  officers,  and  deserve  much  praise  for  their 
youthful  patriotism  and  bravery. 

Previous  to  taking  up  our  line  of  march,  on 
the  20th  of  July,  the  men  of  each  company 
subscribed  liberally  of  their  wages  to  be  sent 
back  for  the  support  of  their  families  and  to  aid 
in  gathering  the  poor  from  Nauvoo. 


40  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

The  next  day  we  had  a  rainstorm  and  we 
traveled  about  four  miles  in  the  mud.  Elder- 
Jesse  C.  .Little  spent  the  night  with  us  and 
the  next  day,  at  the  request  of  the  officers,  he 
delivered  a  short  and  encouraging  address  to 
the  command  while  formed  in  a  hollow  square. 

On  the  morning  of  the  23rd  we  had  to  per- 
form the  painful  duty  of  burying  Brother  Sam- 
uel Boley.  This  was  the  first  death  in  the 
ranks.  He  was  wrapped  in  his  blanket  and 
buried  in  a  rough  lumber  coffin,  which  was  the 
best  we  could  get.  Next  day  we  crossed  the 
Nishnabotany  River  and  camped  near  Lincoln, 
Mo.  Several  parties  were  taken  sick  but  were 
healed  by  using  consecrated  oil  and  laying  on 
of  hands,  and  we  all  went  on  our  way  rejoic- 
ing. 

On  the  25th,  the  command  being  out  of  flour, 
some  of  us  went  to  bed  fasting,  while  others 
made  supper  on  parched  corn.  No  flour  was 
obtained  for  two  days,  during  which  time  we 
traveled  in  the  heat  and  dust  for  thirty-eight 
miles,  and  many  of  us  sick  from  our  long 
forced  inarches.  When  we  had  crossed  the 
Nodaway  River  and  camped  at  Oregon,  Mo., 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  41 

a  man  who  had  a  load  of  flour  for  us  stopped 
outside  of  camp  and  refused  to  deliver  'it  to 
the  quartermaster  because  he  was  a  Mormon, 
saying  he  would  deliver  to  no  one  but  the 
Colonel.  That  noble  officer,  however,  was 
highly  insulted,  and  ordered  him  to  bring  that 
flour  into  camp  and  deliver  it  immediately  or 
be  put  under  arrest  and  guard.  "Good  for  the 
Colonel !"  and  "God  bless  the  Colonel !"  were 
repeated  from  one  end  of  the  camp  to  the  oth- 
er. Passing  through  this  country  we  saw  many 
of  the  old  mobocrats  who  regretted  that  they 
had  persecuted  the  Saints.  They  would  be 
glad  to  have  their  Mormon  neighbors  back 
again ;  were  dumbfounded  to  see  the  Battalion 
march  with  so  much  order  and  civility. 

On  the  29th  we  marched  through  St.  Joseph, 
to  the  tune  of  "The  Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me;" 
on  the  30th,  through  Bloomington;  on  the  31st, 
the  thriving  town  of  Weston  was  reached,  then 
to  the  ferry  opposite  Fort  Leavenworth.  Here 
we  were  five  hours  crossing  and  making  our 
way  to  the  garrison.  We  camped  on  the  pub- 
lic square  of  the  fort,  and  our  tents  were  given 
to  us,  which  added  much  to  our  comfort,  and 


42  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

the  merry  songs  which  sounded  through  the 
camp  made  all  feel  like  "casting  dull  care 
away." 

The  distance  from  Council  -Bluffs  to  Fort 
Leavenworth  is  in  round  numbers  two  hundred 
miles  directly  down  the  Missouri  River.  On 
the  day  of  our  arrival  in  garrison  we  received 
orders  that  Dr.  George  B.  Sanderson  was  ap- 
pointed surgeon  to  serve  the  Mormon  Battal- 
ion, and  would  have  medical  supplies  for  our 
trip  to  California. 

On  the  3rd  of  August,  Companies  A,  B  and 
C  drew  our  arms  which  consisted  of  United 
States  flintlock  musket  (with  bayonet),  twenty- 
four  cartridges,  belt  and  cartouches;  we  also 
drew  a  haversack,  a  knapsack,  a  blanket  (car- 
ried on  top  of  knapsack)  and  provisions.  Col. 
Allen  accompanied  the  officer  who  issued  the 
arms,  and  seeing  us  around  the  door,  each  one 
anxious  to  receive  the  first  gun,  said,  in  his 
good-natured,  humorous  way:  "Stand  back, 
boys;  don't  be  in  a  hurry  to  get  your  mus- 
kets ;  you  will  want  to  throw  the  d — — d  things 
away  before  you  get  to  California. " 

On  the  5th  we  drew  forty-two  dollars  each, 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  43 

as  clothing  money  for  the  year ;  the  most  of 
which  we  sent  back  by  Elder  P.  P.  Pratt  for 
the  support  of  our  families  and  for  gathering 
the  poor  from  Nauvoo.  (I  often  think  and 
wonder  if  people  nowadays  would  do  it?) 

Colonel  Allen  was  heard  to  say,  while  talk- 
ing to  an  officer  of  the  garrison,  that  he  "had 
not  been  under  the  necessity  of  giving  the 
word  of  command  to  the  Mormons  the  sec- 
ond time.  The  men,  though  unacquainted 
with  military  tactics,  were  willing  to  obey  or- 
ders." Volunteers  from  different  parts  of  the 
country  came  into  the  garrison  every  day  to 
get  their  outfits ;  some  of  them  were  rough, 
desperate  characters,  and  quarreling  and  fight- 
ing was  not  unusual  among  them.  The  first 
Sunday  spent  by  us  in  Fort  Leavenworth  was 
observed  by  holding  service.  Elder  Geo.  P. 
Dykes  preached  a  kind  of  military  and  gos- 
pel sermon. 

The  weather  here  was  very  warm  and  we 
had  many  cases  of  sickness,  from  ague.  Col- 
onel Allen  was  taken  seriously  ill  after  our 
arrival  at  Fort  Leavenworth  and  he  instructed 
the  senior  Captain,  Jefferson  Hunt,  to  advance 


44  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

with  the  command  while  he  would  remain  to 
recruit  and  complete  the  business  pertaining 
to  the  outfitting  of  the  Battalion.  On  August 
12,  1846,  Companies  A,  B  and  C  took  up  the 
line  of  march  for  Santa  Fe,  and  traveled  that 
day  five  miles,  finding  only  poor  water  and  lit- 
tle of  it,  which  made  it  bad  for  the  sick,  sever- 
al of  whom  had  raging .  fevers.  On  the  15th 
we  crossed  the  Kansas  or  Kaw  River,  which 
at  the  ferry  was  about  three  hundred  yards 
wide,  and  we  were  ferried  over  by  Shawnee 
Indians.  In  the  evening  we  reached  Spring 
Creek  and  found  more  than  a  dozen  springs 
within  twenty  yards  of  each  other.  Here  we 
stayed  for  two  days  and  all  got  soaked  through 
by  a  rain  storm;  it  also  hailed  and  the  wind 
blew  terribly.  We  moved  on  to  Stone  Coal 
Creek — about  four  miles — where  we  were 
overtaken  by  the  others,  Companies  D  and  E, 
and  found  Colonel  Sterling  Price  and  his  com- 
mand of  cavalry,  who  had  left  the  garrison  two 
days  ahead  of  us,  encamped.  We  rested  to 
dry  our  clothes  and  in  the  afternoon  the  Bat- 
talion was  called  together  and  addressed  by 
Captain  Hunt,  Corporal  Tyler,  Brother  Han- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  45 

cock,  and  Sergeant  Hyde  respectively.  An 
excellent  spirit  prevailed  and  all  seemed  to  ap- 
preciate the  remarks.  Three  persons  were 
baptized  for  their  health  and  one  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins. 

On  the  21st  Adjutant  Dykes  arrived  from 
the  garrison  and  brought  word  that  Colonel 
Allen  was  still  very  sick.  Many  prayers  were 
offered  for  his  recovery  for  he  was  beloved  by 
the  command.  On  the  22nd  we  were  again 
moving  but  had  traveled  only  a  short  dis- 
tance when  we  came  to  a  small  stream  which 
was  very  hard  to  cross.  Long  ropes  were 
fastened  to  the  wagons  on  each  side,  with  ten 
or  fifteen  men  to  each  rope  to  aid  the  teams, 
and  it  was  noon  before  we  were  all  over,  then 
on  over  a  fine  prairie  of  rich  bottom  land — 
our  sick  seemed  much  improved.  Next  day 
we  passed  remnants  of  an  old  stone  wall,  five 
feet  thick,  and  other  ruins  of  some  ancient 
city;  then  over  beautiful  rich  lands  that  would 
make  good  farms.  On  the  25th  we  met  a 
gentleman  returning  from  Bent's  Fort,  and  we 
sent  letters  back  to  anxious  friends.  On  the 
26th,  while  crossing  a  creek  where  the  water 


46  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

was  very  deep  and  the  banks  high,  one  of  our 
company's  wagons  turned  over,  upsetting  six 
or  seven  men  and  several  women.  The  men 
on  the  banks  jumped  in  and  pulled  them  all 
out,  but  they  all  had  a  good  wetting. 

On  the  27th  we  received  the  sorrowful  news 
of  the  death  of  Colonel  Allen,  which  had  oc- 
curred on  August  23,  1846,  and  on  the  29th 
Adjutant  Dykes  preached  his  funeral  sermon 
with  some  very  appropriate  remarks  by  Cap- 
tain Hunt.  After  receiving  the  news  of  the 
death  of  Colonel  Allen,  our  officers  held  a 
council  and  agreed  that  Captain  Hunt  should 
assume  the  command  of  the  Battalion,  which 
was  unanimously  sustained  by  the  men.  We 
then  continued  our  march  under  his  orders  to 
Council  Grove,  where  Lieutenant  Smith,  Major 
Walker,  and  Dr.  Geo.  B.  Sanderson  came  to 
us,  bringing  a  letter  to  Captain  Hunt  from 
Major  Horton,  of  Fort  Leavenworth,  inform- 
ing him  that  the  government  property  in  pos- 
session of  the  Battalion  was  not  receipted  for 
and  advising  us  to  submit  to  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  Smith,  and  he  would  send  the  re- 
ceipts to  us  for  the  same,  as  it  might  save  us 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  47 

considerable  trouble.  When  the  command  was 
given  to  Lieutenant  Smith,  the  soldiers  were 
not  consulted  and  we  all  felt  that  it  was  Cap- 
tain Hunt's  right  to  command,  so  when  it  was 
known  that  Lieutenant  Smith  was  our  com- 
mander, even  before  his  character  was  known 
to  us,  it  caused  a  greater  gloom  throughout  the 
Battalion  than  the  death  of  Colonel  Allen  had. 
On  the  morning  of  the  31st  of  August  we 
marched  to  Diamond  Springs  under  the  new 
commander,  and  were  mustered  and  inspected 
by  him ;  next  day  on  to  Lost  Springs,  being  a 
lonesome  place,  with  no  trees,  and  we  followed 
the  Arab  style  of  digging  narrow  trenches  in 
which  we  burned  weeds  to  heat  water  for  our 
tea  and  coffee;  our  food  we  had  cooked  the 
previous  day.  On  the  2nd  of  September  we 
camped  at  Cottonwood  Creek  in  the  Comanche 
country,  and  these  Indians  were  hostile  at  this 
time.  Lieutenant  Smith  here  pulled  several 
of  our  sick  men  out  of  the  wagons  with  horrid 
oaths  and  threats  because  they  had  neglected 
to  report  themselves  to  Dr.  Sanderson.  Our 
instructions  from  Brother  Brigham  had  been, 
"If  you  are  sick,  live  by  faith,  and  let  surgeon's 


48  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

medicine  alone  if  you  want  to  live,  using  only 
such  herbs  and  mild  food  as  are  at  your  dis- 
posal. If  you  heed  this  counsel  you  will  pros- 
per;" but  Lieutenant  Smith  and  Dr.  Sander- 
son compelled  us  to  take  their  drugs  out  of 
an  old  iron  spoon,  which  he  considered  "good 
enough  for  the  Mormons. "  After  this  it  was 
customary  every  morning  for  the  sick  (many 
of  the  Battalion  having  chills  and  fever)  to  be 
marched  to  the  tune  of  "Jim  along  Joe"  to  the 
doctor's  quarters,  and  take  their  portion  of 
calomel  and  arsenic,  or  decoction  of  bayberry 
bark  and  camomile  flowers.  So  determined  was 
Dr.  Sanderson  that  we  should  take  his  medi- 
cine that  he  threatened  with  an  oath  to  cut  the 
throat  of  any  one  who  gave  anything  without 
his  orders.  Those  who  were  unable  to  march 
to  sick  call  reported  themselves  and  received 
not  only  medicine  but  cursing.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  find  American  citizens  from  any  oth- 
er community  who  would  have  submitted  to  the 
tyranny  and  abuse  that  the  Battalion  did  from 
Smith  and  Sanderson.  Nor  would  we  have 
done  so  on  any  consideration  other  than  as 
servants  to  our  God  and  patriots  to  our  coun- 
try. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  49 

On  the  5th  of  September  we  saw  a  few  buf- 
falo and  the  next  day  plenty  of  them.  One 
of  the  soldiers  killed  one  and  we  thought  the 
meat  pretty  good  eating  though  it  was  a  lit- 
tle tough.  On  the  7th  we  were  ordered  on 
parade  and  had  the  military  law  read  to  us 
for  the  first  time,  in  order  that  we  might  be 
better  posted  in  regard  to  campaign  duties.  On 
the  9th  we  camped  at  Pawnee  Fork,  which 
stream  was  very  difficult  to  cross,  and  occu- 
pied a  long  time;  each  wagon  had  to  be  let 
down  the  bank  with  ropes,  while  on  the  op- 
posite bank  from  twenty  to  thirty  men  with 
ropes  helped  the  teams  in  pulling  the  wagons 
up.  The  water  was  very  muddy  like  the  Mis- 
souri. 

The  next  day  we  had  a  heavy  rain  storm 
and  found  no  timber  to  cook  our  supper  with. 
We  met  an  express  from  Santa  Fe  who  told 
us  of  the  surrender  of  that  place  to  General 
S.  F.  Kearney,  and  gave  us  an  order  from  that 
general  directing  the  Battalion  to  leave  the 
road  and  not  go  by  way  of  Bent's  Fort,  but  to 
march  direct  to  Santa  Fe,  which  of  course  we 
proceeded   to   do,   although   the   most   of   our 

5 


50  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

provisions  and  two  pieces  of  artillery  were  in 
advance  of  us  toward  the  Fort. 

About  noon  on  the  11th  we  reached  the  Ar- 
kansas River.  At  this  point  it  was  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  wide  and  filled  with,  sand, 
with  here  and  there  a  small  stream  of  brackish 
water;  we  dug  holes  about  two  or  three  feet 
deep  in  the  sand  and  obtained  enough  water 
for  our  needs.  The  afternoon  was  spent  in 
a  general  washing,  and  many  fish  were  caught 
by  spearing  them  in  the  shallow  water  with 
swords  and  bayonets.  The  supper  that  night 
was  thankfully  received  as  a  great  treat.  After 
crossing  the  river  we  overtook  five  companies 
of  Colonel  Sterling  Price's  regiment  from 
western  Missouri  whom  we  found  to  be  a  pro- 
fane, wicked  and  vulgar  set  of  men.  We  were 
not  rejoiced  to  see  Colonel  Price,  as  we  knew 
him  in  days  of  old  as  a  commander  .of  the  mob 
militia  in  Far  West  in  1838. 

At  this  time  Captain  Higgins  of  Company 
D  with  a  guard  of  ten  men  was  detailed  to 
take  a  number  of  the  families  that  accom- 
panied the  Battalion  to  Pueblo  to  winter,  and 
many  of  us  were  dissatisfied  with  this  move, 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  51 

as  Brigham  Young  had  counseled  the  officers 
not  to  allow  the  Battalion  to  be  separated  on 
any  account.  Lieutenants  Pace  and  Gully  op- 
posed it  and  requested  a  council  and  wished 
to  send  letters  to  the  Twelve  Apostles;  but 
Adjutant  Dykes  objected  ta  this,  saying  there 
was  no  time  for  councils,  and  President  Young 
did  not  know  our  circumstances.  The  fam- 
ilies, therefore,  were  forced  to  leave  us  on 
the  16th  of  September,  and  take  up  their  line 
of  march  to  Pueblo.  While  here  Brother  Alva 
Phelps  died,  a  victim  of  Dr.  Sanderson's 
strong  medicine.*  He  was  buried  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Arkansas  River.  That  evening  we 
noticed  what  appeared  to  be  a  star  in  the 
eastern  sky  dancing  in  the  air.  It  moved  both 
up  and  down,  and  north  and  south,  directly  in 


*"It  is  understood  that  he  begged  Dr.  Sander- 
son not  to  give  him  any  medicine,  as  he  needed 
only  a  little  rest,  and  then  would  return  to  duty; 
but  the  doctor  prepared  his  dose  and  ordered  him 
to  take  it,  which  he  declined  doing,  whereupon  the 
doctor,  with  some  horrid  oaths,  forced  it  down 
him  with  an  old,  rusty  spoon.  A  few  hours  later 
he  died,  and  the  general  feeling  was  that  the  doc- 
tor had  killed  him." — Mormon  Battalion  History. 


52  -AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

the  course  we  had  traveled,  and  finally  sunk 
out  of  sight. 

The  next  day  we  marched  twenty-five  miles 
across  a  dreary  desert  and  suffered  intensely 
from  the  great  heat  and  want  of  water.  Our 
teams  also  suffered  much,  and  then  the  mirage 
was  such  an  aggravation — it  had  the  appear- 
ance of  fog  rising  from  water  and  then  would 
look  like  a  lake  of  clear  water,  but  it  went  on 
ahead  of  us  and  stopped  when  we  did.  We 
passed  one  pond  full  of  insects  of  all  sizes  and 
shapes,  out  of  which  we  drove  several  thou- 
sand buffaloes.  No  luxury  was  ever  more 
thankfully  received.  The  few  whose  canteens 
were  not  exhausted  of  course  did  not  use  it, 
but  bad  as  it  was,  it  was  welcome  to  most  of 
us.  We  put  the  water  in  a  vessel  and  then 
sucked  it  through  a  silk  handkerchief.  The 
next  day  we  continued  on  across  the  dry, 
parched  desert  without  finding  any  water,  ex- 
cept a  pond  similar  to  the  one  the  day  before, 
which  was  hailed  with  great  joy  and  consid- 
ered a  great  blessing,  Again  we  made  a  "dry 
camp"  but  started  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  traveled  ten  miles  before  breakfast. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  53 

It  does  not  appear  whether  Colonel  Smith 
had  had  no  experience  in  traveling  with  teams, 
or  whether  he  desired  to  use  up  the  teams  and 
leave  the  Battalion  on  the  plains  helpless;  but 
for  the  last  hundred  miles,  where  there  had 
been  but  little  feed,  he  had  shown  no  wisdom 
or  care  in  preserving  either  man  or  beast ;  but 
on  the  contrary,  no  matter  whether  our  drives 
were  to  be  long  or  short,  he  had  driven  on 
forced  marches,  on  which  account  many  had 
failed  very  fast.  Our  only  fuel  for  the  last 
ten  days  had  been  nothing  but  buffalo  "chips" 
and  sometimes  these  were  very  scarce.  * 

On  the  night  of  the  20th,  having  traveled 
ten  miles,  we  camped  before  the  sink  of  the 
Cimmaron  Creek,  where  we  obtained  brackish 
water  by  digging  holes  in  the  sand.  On  the 
21st  we  marched  eighteen  miles  and  again 
camped  on  the  Cimmaron  and  had  to  dig  in 
sand  again  for  water.  It  looked  as  if  the  Col- 
onel and  surgeon  were  determined  to  kill  us, 
first  by  forced  marches  to  make  us  sick,  then 
compel  us  to  take  calomel  or  to  walk  and  do 
duty.  Our  officers  held  a  council  with  our  spir- 
itual advisers,  David  Pettigrew  and  Levi  W. 


54  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Hancock,  in  which  our  condition  was  discussed 
to  see  if  anything  could  be  done  to  ameliorate 
it.  Then  they  appealed  to  the  Colonel,  trying 
to  reason  with  him,  pointing  out  the  fact  of 
the  men  and  beasts  failing  because  of  these 
forced  marches — that  many  of  the  men  were 
badly  salivated  from  the  malpractice  of  Dr. 
Sanderson,  etc.,  but  he  merely  replied  to  the 
effect  that  he  could  do  nothing,  and  the  sub- 
ject had  to  be  dropped. 

On  the  25th  we  marched  twenty  miles  over 
a  rough  and  mountainous  road  and  camped  at 
Gold  Springs  where  we  found  good  water  and 
some  little  timber.  On  the  26th  we  saw  many 
deer,  elk,  and  antelope ;  reached  Cedar  Springs, 
saw  cedar,  spruce  and  cottonwood.  On  the 
27th  shot  a  few  antelope  which  added  to  our 
scanty  rations  was  a  real  treat.  We  now  could 
see  numerous  mountain  peaks,  the  first  that 
many  of  us  had  ever  seen,  and  during  the  next 
day  our  way  was  over  hills  and  high  ridges ; 
now  wild  turkey  and  bear  were  added  to  our 
camp  supper. 

On  the  30th  we  passed  Rock  Creek,  but  men 
and  teams  were  failing,  and  as  we  found  no 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  55 

feed  for  animals  we  traveled  till  9  o'clock  at 
night  and  were  on  the  move  again  at  daylight. 
About  noon  we  passed  near  the  walls  of  an 
ancient  structure,  which  might  have  been  a 
castle  or  fortification,  and  numerous  canals, 
which  evidently  had  not  been  used  for  genera- 
tions. On  October  2  we  reached  Red  River 
and  on  the  3rd  a  council  was  called  in  which 
the  commander  said  he  had  received  orders 
from  General  Kearney  that  unless  the  com- 
mand reached  Santa  Fe  by  the  10th  we  would 
be  discharged.  Therefore  he  suggested  that 
we  select  fifty  able-bodied  men  from  each 
company  to  take  the  best  teams  and  travel  on  a 
double  forced  march,  leaving  the  sick  with  the 
weak  teams  to  follow  as  they  could.  Quite  a 
number  opposed  this  because  they  did  not 
wish  to  divide  us,  but  it  was  carried,  and  the 
Battalion  was  accordingly  divided,  all  the  able- 
bodied  soldiers,  most  of  the  commissioned  offi- 
cers, Colonel  Smith  and  Dr.  Sanderson,  making 
their  way  with  all  possible  haste  to  Santa  Fe. 
After  the  division,  those  who  were  left  at  the 
rear,  not  being  now  obliged  to  take  medicine, 
and  the  feed  and  water  being  better,  were  get- 


56  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

ting  stronger  each  clay,  and  they  spent  no  un- 
necessary time  on  the  road. 

The  first  division  arrived  at  Santa  Fe  on  the 
evening  of  October  9,  1846,  and  the  second 
division  three  days  later. 

On  our  approach  General  Doniphan,  the 
commander  of  the  post,  ordered  a  salute  of  a 
hundred  guns  to  be  fired  in  honor  of  the  Mor- 
mon Battalion.  This  same  general  was  much 
pleased  to  find  a  number  of  old  friends  and 
acquaintances  among  the  soldiers,  whom  he 
knew  to  be  honorable,  upright  and  loyal  men, 
and  it  was  probably  the  memory  of  the  wrongs 
which  they  had  suffered  from  the  Missouri 
mobocrats  which  prevented  him  from  extend- 
ing any  courtesies  to  Colonel  Sterling  Price 
and  his  disgraceful  cavalry  command  on  their 
arrival.* 


*"When  Col.  Sterling  Price,  with  his  cavalry 
command,  which  left  Fort  Leavenworth  two  or 
three  days  ahead  of  us,  arrived  at  Santa  Fe,  he 
was  received  without  any  public  demonstration, 
and  when  he  learned  of  the  salute  which  had  been 
fired  in  honor  of  the  'Mormons/  he  was  greatly 
chagrined  and  enraged." — Mormon  Battalion  His^ 
tory. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SANTA  FE  TO  TUCSON. 

Col.  Cooke  in  Command — A  Story  of  Starvation 
and  Toil — Prayers  Answered — Battle  with  Bulls 
on  San  Pedro — Soldier  Poetry. 

COLONEL  P.  St.  George  Cooke  who  was 
awaiting  us  in  Santa  Fe  took  command  on 
October  13,  1846.  He  instructed  Captain  Jas. 
Brown  to  take  command  of  men  who,  from 
sickness,  had  been  reported  as  incapable  of 
making  the  journey  to  California,  also  the 
laundresses,  who  would  suffer  much  on  such  a 
march  and  would  be  an  incumbrance  to  the 
expedition,  and  march  them  to  Fort  Pueblo  to 
winter.  Twenty-four  of  this  detachment  were 
from  Company  C  and  they  left  us  on  the  18th 
of  October. 

By  special  arrangement  and  consent,  the  Bat- 
talion was  paid  in  checks — not  very  available 
at  Santa  Fe.*     On  the  19th  we  took  leave  of 


^Colonel  Cooke's  diary. 


58  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

John  D.  Lee,  Lieutenant  Gully  and  others  who 
started  with  our  checks  for  Council  Bluffs,  and 
as  soon  as  they  left  we  broke  camp  and  trav- 
eled six  miles  to  "Aqua  Frio,''  (cold  water) 
the  nearest  point  for  grazing.  We  were  sup- 
plied with  rations  for  sixty  days ;  full  rations 
of  flour,  sugar,  coffee  and  salt;  salt  pork  only 
for  thirty  days  and  soap  for  twenty.  We  started 
with  mules,  ox  teams,  wagons  and  pack  sad- 
dles ;  these  mules  and  oxen,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions were  the  same  ones  (worn-out  and  brok- 
en down)  that  we  had  driven  all  the  way  from 
Council  Bluffs,  and  some  of  them  had  been 
driven  all  the  way  from  Nauvoo. 

After  we  had  traveled  past  every  place 
where  it  would  be  possible  to  purchase  pro- 
visions for  a  time,  to  the  surprise  of  the  com- 
mand the  rations  were  reduced  by  the  follow- 
ing: 

Orders  No.  11. 

Headquarters  Mormon  Battalion, 

Santa  Fe. 
Until   further  orders,    three-fourths    pound 
flour,  also  three-fourths  rations  sugar  and  cof- 
fee,   will    be    issued.     Beef,    one    and    a   half 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON. 


pounds,  will  be  issued  for  a  day's  ration.  * 
*  *  *  Commanders  of  companies  will  be 
held  strictly  responsible  that  the  issue  of  ra- 
tions is  made  carefully  as  now  ordered.  The 
welfare  and  safety  of  the  Battalion  may  de- 
pend on  it. 

(2).  Hereafter,  no  muskets  or  knapsacks 
will  be  carried  in  a  public  wagon  or  on  a  public 
mule  without  orders,  or  express  permission  of 
the  commanding  officer,  and  no  one  will  leave 
his  company  a  quarter  of  a  mile  without  per- 
mission, and  no  musket  will  be  fired  in'  camp. 
The  officer  of  the  day  will  attend  to  the  execu- 
tion of  these  regulations  and  confine  under 
guard  any  one  who  disobeys  them.  At  reveille 
all  will  turn  out  under  arms.  The  company 
commanders  will  order  turns  of  guard  or  con- 
fine those  who  fail.  After  roll  call  the  ranks 
will  be  opened  and  an  officer  will  pass  down 
each  rank  and  see  that  all  are  fully  armed  and 
equipped.  Immediately  after  roll  call,  break- 
fast will  be  disposed  of  and  everything  packed 
in  the  wagons.  *  *  *  *  All  this  will  be 
done  without  waiting  for  signals  or  the  loss  of 
a  moment.  The  teams  will  be  hitched  up  as 
the  teamsters  get  their  breakfast.  *  *  *  * 
Every  teamster  must  have  one  or  more  buckets 
or  camp  kettles  with  which  to  water  his  team. 
The  teams  will  not  stop  to  water  unless  or- 
dered by  the  commanding  officer,  as  everything 


60  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

depends  on  our  animals.  I  call  all  the  officers 
and  the  quartermaster  sergeants  of  com- 
panies and  the  teamsters  and  assistants  to  do 
the  best  for  them  possible.  The  order  will  be 
read  twice  at  the  head  of  each  company  by  its 
commander. 

By  order  of 

Lieut.  Col.  Cooke, 

(Signed)     G.  P.  Dykes,  Adjutant. 

This  order  was  strictly  observed.  The  first 
breach  of  regulations  was  by  an  officer,  Cap- 
tain Hunter  of  Company  C,  who  had  remained 
in  Santa  Fe  without  the  consent  of  the  com- 
manding officer,  and  was  promptly  punished. 
Thus  we  found  out  that  our  new  commander, 
although  very  strict,  was  impartial ;  he  believed 
that  the  officers  should  obey  first,  and  set  the 
example  to  the  men. 

On  October  23  the  quartermaster  exchanged 
thirty  of  our  worthless  mules  for  half  that 
number  of  fresh  ones;  the  Colonel  also  pur- 
chased eight  and  obtained  ten  yoke  of  oxen. 
Two  of  our  poorest  heavy  wagons  were  also 
exchanged  for  lighter  and  better  ones.  The 
hand  of  the  Lord  was  thus  manifested  to  us, 
for  without  something  of  the  kind,  we  must 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  61 

have  been  left  without  conveyance  in  the  des- 
ert. 

On  the  25th  Sergeant  E.  Elmer  of  Company 
C  was  reduced  to  the  ranks  for  neglecting  to 
form  his  company  while  reveille  was  beating, 
and  for  telling  his  Colonel  that  he  did  so  be- 
cause he  could  not  see  to  call  the  roll;  but  he 
was  subsequently  restored  to  his  office  and  re- 
tained the  respect  and  friendship  of  all  of  us. 

While  marching  down  the  Rio  Del  Norte 
we  found  the  roads  extremely  sandy  in  many 
places  and  the  men,  though  carrying  blankets, 
knapsacks,  cartridge  boxes  and  muskets  on 
their  backs  and  living  on  short  rations,  had  to 
pull  at  long  ropes  to  aid  the  teams.  We  were 
ready  to  eat  anything  that  would  furnish  any 
nourishment — the  rations  issued  to  us  did  not 
satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger.  When  one 
of  the  fat  cattle  was  slaughtered  for  beef  the 
Colonel  gave  positive  orders  that  no  more  of 
them  should  be  killed  as  we  needed  them  for 
work;  only  those  that  were  unable  to  work 
from  sheer  exhaustion  and  weakness,  could  be 
used  for  beef,  and  from  that  time  the  carcasses 
were  issued  as  rations.     Nothing  was  wasted 


62  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

that  could  possibly  be  utilized  for  food:  even 
the  hides,  tripe  and  entrails,  all  were  eagerly 
devoured,  sometimes  without  even  water  to 
wash  it  down.  The  marrow  bones  were  con- 
sidered a  luxury,  and  rich  indeed  would  be  the 
dinner  of  the  mess  whose  turn  it  was  to  receive 
them. 

On  the  27th  we  had  a  cold  rain  in  the  valley 
of  the  Rio  Del  Norte,  and  heavy  snow  fell  in 
the  mountains,  but  the  storm  settled  the  sandy 
roads,  making  them  easier  to  travel. 

Our  cheerful  camp  singer,  Levi  W.  Hancock, 
ofttimes  amused  and  entertained  us  while 
around  our  camp  fires — and  often  composed 
songs  to  fit  the  occasion  as  the  following  will 
show : 

THE  DESERT  ROUTE. 

While  here,  beneath  a  sultry  sky, 
Our  famished  mules  and  cattle  die; 
Scarce  aught  but  skin  and  bones  remain 
To  feed  poor  soldiers  on  the  plain. 

Chorus: 

How  hard,  to  starve  and  wear  us  out 
Upon  this  sandy,  desert  route. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  63 

We  sometimes  now  for  lack  of  bread, 
Are  less  than  quarter  rations  fed. 
And  soon  expect,  for  all  of  meat 
Naught  else  than  broke-down  mules  to  eat. 

Now,  half-starved  oxen,  over-drilled, 
Too  weak  to  draw,  for  beef  are  killed; 
And  gnawing  hunger  prompting  men 
To  eat  small  entrails  and  the  skin. 

Sometimes  we  quarter  for  the  day, 
While  men  are  sent  ten  miles  away, 
On  our  back  track,  to  place  in  store 
An  ox,  give  out  the  day  before. 

And  when  an  ox  is  like  to  die, 
The  whole  camp  halts,  and  we  lay  by; 
The  greedy  wolves  and  buzzards  stay, 
Expecting  rations  for  the  day. 

Our  hardships  reach  their  rough  extremes 
When  valiant  men  are  roped  with  teams, 
Hour  after  hour,  and  day  by  day, 
To  wear  our  strength  and  lives  away. 

The  teams  can  hardly  drag  their  loads 
Along  the  hilly,  sandy  roads, 
While  trav'ling  near  the  Rio  Grande 
O'er  hills  and  dales  of  heated  sand. 


64  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

We  see  some  twenty  men,  or  more, 
With  empty  stomachs,  and  foot-sore, 
Bound  to  one  wagon,  plodding  on 
Through   sand,  beneath   a  burning  sun. 

A  doctor  which  the  government 
Has   furnished  proves  a  punishment! 
At  his  rude  call  of  "Jim  along  Joe," 
The  sick  and  halt  to  him  must  go. 

Both  night  and  morn,  this  call  is  heard; 
Our  indignation  then  is  stirr'd, 
And  we  sincerely  wish  in  hell 
His  arsenic  and  calomel. 

To  take  it,  if  we're  not  inclined, 
We're  threatened,  "You'll  be  left  behind;" 
When  bored  with  threats  profanely  rough 
We  swallow  down  the  poisonous  stuff. 

Some  stand  the  journey  well,  and  some 
Are  by  the   hardships   overcome; 
And  thus  the  "Mormons"  are  worn  out 
Upon  this  long  and  weary  route. 

On  November  1  Adjutant  Dykes  resigned 
his  position  and  my  old  friend  Philemon  C. 
Merrill,  who  was  acting  as  Second  Lieutenant 
of  Company  B,  was  appointed  adjutant  of  the 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  65 

Battalion,  which  change  gave  general  satisfac- 
tion to  all  of  us. 

We  found  the  judgment  of  Colonel  Cooke 
good  in  traveling.  He  never  crowded  the  men 
unnecessarily,  but  as  the  roads  got  so  much 
worse  that  both  men  and  teams  failed  fast,  our 
only  hope  of  reaching  California  lay  in  our 
faith  in  God,  and  on  pulling  at  the  ropes. 

On  November  3  Brother  James  Hampton, 
who  had  been  on  sick  list,  was  reported  by  Dr. 
Sanderson  as  ready  for  duty,  but  so  far  from 
being  well,  he  died  about  2  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day.  He  was  a  faithful  sol- 
dier and  worthy  Latter-day  Saint.  When  it 
was  learned  that  he  was  dying  a  halt  of  about 
twenty  minutes  was  made,  and  after  his  death 
he  was  placed  in  a  wagon  and  taken  to  our 
next  camping  place,  where  he  was  buried. 

The  same  day  we  received 

Orders  No.  14. 

The  commanding  officer  feels  it  his  duty,  on 
the  report  of  his  principal  guide,  for  the  safety 
of  the  Battalion,  to  make  further  reduction  of 
its  rations.  Hereafter  ten  ounces  of  pork  will 
be  issued  as  the  ration,  and  nine  ounces  of 


66  AUTOBIOGRAPHY   OF 

flour.     Fresh  meat  will  be  issued  at  a  pound 
and  a  half. 

By  order  of 

Lieut.  Col.  Cooke,  Com. 

P.  C.  Merrill,  Adjt. 


THE    MORMON    BATTALION. 

By  Eliza  R.  Snozv. 
When  "Mormon"  trains  were  journeying  through 
To  Winter  Quarters,  from  Nauvoo, 
Five  hundred  men  were  called  to  go 
To  settle  claims  with  Mexico — 
To  fight  for  that  same  Government 
From  which,  as  fugitives,  we  went. 
What  were  their  families  to  do — 
Their  children,  wives,  and  mothers,  too, 
When  fathers,  husbands,  sons  were  gone? 
Mothers  drove  teams,  and  camps  moved  on. 

And  on  the  brave   Battalion  went 

With  Colonel  Allen  who  was  sent 

As  officer  of  Government. 

The  noble  Colonel  Allen  knew 

His  "Mormon  boys"  were  brave  and  true, 

And  he  was  proud  of  his  command 

As  he  led  forth  his  "Mormon  Band." 

He  sickened,  died,  and  they  were  left 
Of  a  loved  leader  soon  bereft! 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  67 

And  his  successor  proved  to  be 
The  embodiment  of  cruelty. 
Lieutenant   Smith,  the   tyrant,   led 
The  cohort  on,  in  Allen's  stead, 
To  Santa  Fe,  where  Colonel  Cooke 
The  charge  of  the  Battalion  took. 

'Twas  well  the  vision  of  the  way 

Was  closed  before  them  on  the  day 

They  started  out  for  Santa  Fe! 

'Tis   said   no  infantry  till  then, 

E'er  suffered  equal  to  those  men. 

Their  beeves  were  famished  and  their  store 

Was  nigh  exhausted  long  before 

They  reached  the  great   Pacific  shore. 

Teams   e'en   fell   dead   upon   the   road, 

While  soldiers  helped  to  draw  the  load! 

'Twas  cruel,  stern  necessity 
That  prompted  such  severity; 
For  General  Kearney  in  command 
Of  army  in  the  western  land 
Expressly  ordered  Colonel  Cooke, 
The  man  who  failure  could  not  brook. 
To  open  up  a  wagon  road 
Where  wheels,  till  then,  had  never  trod; 
And  Colonel  Cooke  was  in  command 
Across  the  desert  waste  and  sand: 
He,  with  a  staunch  and  iron  will, 
The  general's  orders  to  fulfill, 


08  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Must  every  nerve  and  sinew  strain 

The  expedition's  point  to  gain. 

Tho'  stern,  and  e'en  at  times  morose, 

Strict  sense  of  justice  marked  his  course. 

He,  as  his  predecessors,  knew 

The  "Mormon"  men  were  firm  and  true. 

They  found  roadmaking  worse  by  far 

Than  all  the  horrors  of  the  war; 

Tried  by  the  way — when  they  got  through 

They'd  very  little  more  to  do; 

The  opposing  party,  panic  struck, 

Dare  not  compete  with  "Mormon"  pluck, 

And  off  in  all  directions  fled — 

No  charge  was  fired — no  blood  was  shed. 

Our  God  who  rules  in  worlds  of  light 
Controls  by  wisdom  and  by  might, 
If  need,  His  purpose  to  fulfill, 
He  moves  the  nations  at  His  will — 
The  destinies  of  men  o'er-rules, 
And  uses  whom  He  will  as  tools. 
The  wise  can  see  and  understand, 
While  fools  ignore  His  guiding  hand. 

Ere  the  Battalion  started  out 
Upon  that  most  important  route, 
'Twas  thus  predicted  by  the  tongue 
Of  the  Apostle   Brigham   Young: 
"If  to  your  God  and  country  true, 
You'll  have  no  fighting  there  to  do." 


CHRISTOPHER    LAYTON.  69 

Was  General  Kearney  satisfied? 
Yes,  more — for  he  with  martial  pride 
Said,  "O'er  the  Alps  Napoleon  went, 
But  these  men  cross'd  a  continent." 

And  thus,  with  God  Almighty's  aid, 
The  conquest  and  the  road  were  made, 
By  which  a  threatened  storm  was  stayed 
And  lo!  the  Saints  of  God  were  saved. 

While  traveling  on  the  4th,  two  soldiers 
were  tied  behind  an  ox  wagon  and  obliged  to 
march  in  that  position  through  wind  and  dust, 
for  neglecting  to  get  up  and  salute  Lieutenant 
Dykes,  while  he  was  visiting  the  guards  the 
previous  night. 

On  November  6  we  arrived  at  the  place 
where  General  Kearney  had  left  his  wagons, 
and  from  this  point  he  had  gone  on  with  pack- 
animals.  We  were  to  open  a  wagon  road  from 
here  to  the  coast.  Besides  what  we  had  pre- 
viously endured  from  hunger  and  having  to 
help  our  worn-out  animals  pull  the  overloaded 
wagons,  we  now  would  have  the  additional  task 
of  constructing  a  wagon  road  over  a  wild,  des- 
ert country. 


70  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

The  next  clay  some  one  killed  a  black-tailed 
deer,  which  was  a  rich  treat  to  our  hungry 
company. 

On  the  10th  a  detachment  of  fifty-five  sick 
men  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  W.  W. 
Willis  was  sent  back  to  Pueblo  to  winter. 
Twelve  of  these  were  from  Company  C.  We 
parted  from  these  brethren  with  many  prayers 
and  much  anxiety  for  their  safety,  then  turned 
again  to  the  work  before  us  which  was  not  a 
very  pleasing  picture,  but  our  trust  was  in  our 
Heavenly  Father. 

Colonel  Cooke  issued  an  order  to  leave  here 
the  two  remaining  ox  wagons ;  the  commanders 
of  companies  were  also  required  to  reduce  their 
number  of  tents  to  one  for  nine  instead  of  six 
men,  and  all  upright  poles  and  the  extra  camp 
kettles  to  be  left.  We  did  some  packing  of 
both  oxen  and  mules.  It  was  laughable  to  see 
the  antics  of  our  frightened  animals.  They 
bellowed  and  snorted,  pawed  and  plowed  the 
ground -with  their  horns,  whirling  and  jump- 
ing— as  some  of  the  boys  said,  "they  kicked 
up  before  and  reared  up  behind."  Even  our 
sedate   commander   said   "they   were   irresist- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  71 

ibly  ludicrous,  jumping  high  from  the  ground 
in  double  quickstep  time,  turning  around  the 
while — a  perfect  jig." 

On  the  11th  we  inarched  fifteen  miles.  I 
was  one  of  those  who  had  charge  of  the  mules. 
Colonel  Cooke,  seeing  a  patch  of  willows  and 
cane  grass,  rode  into  it,  and  following  down 
the  bottom  for  nearly  a  mile,  found  water  and 
grass  plentiful.  We  camped  on  the  bluff,  and 
tried  our  commander's  new  invention  of  using 
our  muskets  for  tent  poles. 

The  15th  of  November  was  stormy,  snow 
and  rain  falling  at  intervals,  and  being  Sunday, 
we  concluded  to  lay  by  on  the  banks  of  a  small 
stream.  We  slaughtered  an  old  ox  which  had 
given  out;  though  he  was  a  mere  skeleton,  his 
remaining  flesh  was  issued  as  rations. 

Passing  around  the  base  of  the  mountain,  the 
next  day,  to  a  narrow  canyon,  we  found  a 
marshy  water  hole  which  we  named  Cooke's 
Spring,  a  name  which  it  still  bears.  Here  we 
found  California  quail ;  we  also  killed  a  couple 
of  goats,  and  we  regarded  all  these  luxuries 
as  gifts  from  our  Heavenly  Father. 

We  next  traveled  over  the  "table  land"  and 


72  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

this  part  of  the  country  can  hardly  be  excelled 
for  beauty  of  landscape.  Elevated  to  the  high- 
est of  these  tables  or  flats,  no  matter  which 
way  you  cast  the  eye,  a  most  beautiful,  grassy 
plain  stretches  out  as  far  as  you  can  see. 

On  the  20th  we  lay  by,  our  guides  having 
gone  twelve  miles  ahead,  and  not  being  able  to 
see  any  water  or  any  indications  of  water,  had 
returned  disheartened,  thinking  no  water 
would  be  found  short  of  the  Gila  River — over 
a  hundred  miles.  Our  commander  called  a 
council  and  the  decision  was  to  follow  a  road 
leading  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  through 
settlements  where  we  hoped  to  obtain  food 
and  fresh  teams. 

When  this  decision  was  made  known  a 
gloom  was  cast  over  us,  for  we  wanted  to  go 
on  to  California.  But  at  this  juncture  Father 
Pettigrew  and  Brother  Hancock  went  from 
tent  to  tent  and  in  a  low  voice  counseled  us  to 
"pray  to  the  Lord  to  change  the  Coloners 
mind."  That  night  over  three  hundred  fervent 
prayers  ascended  to  the  throne  of  grace  for 
that  one  favor. 

The  next  morning  the  command  continued 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  73 

the  journey  for  about  two  miles,  when  it  was 
found  that  the  road  began  to  bear  directly  for 
Old  Mexico.  Colonel  Cooke  halted,  looked  all 
around,  rose  in  his  saddle  and  ordered  a  halt. 
He  then  said  with  firmness :  "This  is  not  my 
course.  I  was  ordered  to  California;  and/' 
he  added  with  an  oath,  "I  will  go  there  or  die 
in  the  attempt !"  Then  to  the  bugler,  "Blow 
the  right.' '  Father  Pettigrew  involuntarily  ex- 
claimed, "God  bless  the  Colonel !"  and  as  the 
Colonel's  keen  penetrating  eyes  glanced  in  the 
direction  of  the  voice,  his  stern  face  for  once 
softened  and  he  looked  pleased. 

We  felt  that  our  prayers  were  answered  and 
the  next  day  we  traveled  about  eighteen  miles 
and  camped  without  water.  Here  it  was  de- 
cided and  ordered  that  the  men  walk  in  double 
file  in  front  of  the  wagons  and  tramp  a  trail 
for  the  wheels — each  company  leading  for  an 
hour  and  then  falling  to  the  rear;  this  made 
all  have  an  equal  share  in  the  hard  work.  This 
plan  was  followed  in  traveling  over  all  the 
heavy,  sandy  road,  until  we  reached  the  coast ; 
it  was  very  hard  on  us  as  we  had  no  road  or 
trail  to  follow. 


74  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

On  the  23rd  we  came  to  a. hole  or  crevice 
in  a  rock  where  there  was  a  little  water  but 
the  Colonel  and  staff  rode  up  to  it  and  their 
mules  drained  it.  When  we  came  up  some 
looked  at  it  wistfully  and  passed  on,  while 
some  dipped  with  spoons  what  they  could  get. 
Then  a  guide  came  back  telling  us  of  water 
about  nine  miles  ahead  of  us.  After  dark  we 
found  water  in  some  swamp  holes. 

Next  day  we  rested  as  most  of  us  were  ex- 
hausted. From  here  a  company  of  pioneers 
was  sent  forward  to  work  a  road  over  the 
backbone  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

On  the  28th  we  reached  the  summit  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  where  we  found  plenty  of 
deer,  bear,  antelope  and  small  game. 

The  next  day  we  prepared  for  descending 
the  mountains.  We  packed  the  animals  and 
sent  them  down  into  the  valley,  about  six 
miles,  where  a  guard  was  left  with  the  bag- 
gage while  the  men  and  animals  returned,  and 
the  work  of  taking  the  wagons  down  was  com- 
menced. Long  ropes  were  tied  to  the  wagons, 
and  the  men  held  back  on  them ;  thus  the  wag- 
ons were  lowered.    During  the  three  days  that 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  75 

we  encamped  on  the  mountain  the  weather  was 
very  cold  but  when  we  got  into  the  valley, 
it  was  mild  and  pleasant,  and  the  scenery  was 
beautiful. 

On  the  2nd  of  December  we  reached  the 
ruins  of  the  old  Rancho  San  Bernardino  where 
we  rested  a  day  and  a  half  and  hunted  wild 
cattle,  thus  adding  five  days  rations  to  •  our 
scanty  supplies. 

Before  breaking  camp  orders  were  issued 
to  the  effect  that  "Commanders  of  companies 
hereafter  will  give  no  permission  to  leave  the 
column  of  march  or  the  camp,  and  muskets 
will  not  be  fired  at  game ;"  and  also  a  verbal 
order  that  we  were  to  have  no  loaded  guns  in 
the  command,  which  last  order  was  not 
strictly  obeyed.. 

Thus  we  marched,  from  twelve  to  seventeen 
miles  a  day,  sometimes  in  a  snow  storm  or 
rain,  often  camping  without  wood  or  water, 
and  on  the  9th  we  nooned  at  San  Pedro  creek, 
where  the  grass  looked  as  though  it  was  dry 
straw  but  it  proved  to  be  splendid  feed. 

Continuing  our  journey  down  the  San  Pedro 
we  encamped  on  the  night  of  the   11th  in  a 


76  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

canyon,  where  occurred  the  famous  "Bull 
Fight"  which  is  so  well  described  by  our  mu- 
sician, Brother  Hancock : 

THE  BULL  FIGHT  ON  THE  SAN  PEDRO. 

Under  command  of  Colonel  Cooke, 
When  passing  down  San  Pedro's  brook, 
Where  cane-grass,  growing  rank  and  high, 
Was  waving  as  the  breeze  pass'd  by: 

There,  as  we  gained  ascending  ground, 
Out  from  the  grass,  with  fearful  bound, 
A  wild,  ferocious  bull  appear'd, 
And  challenged  fight,  with  horns  uprear'd. 

"Stop,  stop!"  said  one,  "just  see  that  brute!" 
"Hold!"  was  responded,  "let  me  shoot." 
He  flashed,  but  failed  to  fire  the  gun — 
Both  stood  their  ground,  and  would  not  run. 

The  man  exclaimed,  "I  want  some  meat; 
I  think  that  bull  will  do  to  eat." 
And  saying  thus,  again  he  shot 
And  fell'd  the  creature  on  the  spot. 

It  soon  arose  to  run  away, 
And  then  the  guns  began  to  play: 
All  hands  at  work — amid  the  roar, 
The  bull  was  dropp'd  to  rise  no  more. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  77 

But  lo!  it  did  not  end  the  fight — 
A  furious  herd  rushed  into  sight, 
And  then  the  bulls  and  men  around 

Seemed  all  resolved  to   stand  their  ground. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

The  bulls  with  madden'd  fury  raged — 
The  men  a  skillful  warfare  waged: 
Tho'  some,  from  danger  had  to  flee, 
And  hide  or  clamber  up  a  tree. 

A  bull  at  one  man  made  a  pass, 
Who  hid  himself  amid  the  grass, 
And  breathless  lay  until  the  brute 
Passed  him  and  took  another  shoot. 

The  bulls  rushed  on  like  unicorns 

And  gored  the  mules  with  piercing  horns, 

As  if  the  battle  ground  to  gain, 

When  men  and  mules  should  all  be  slain. 

A.  Cox  from  one  bull's  horns  was  thrown 
Ten  feet  in  air:  when  he  came  down, 
A  gaping  flesh  wound  met  his  eye — 
The  vicious  beast  had  gored  his  thigh.,* 


*"Brother  Amos  Cox  had  a  terrible  cut  in  his 
thigh,  about  eight  inches  long,  near  the  groin,  by 
a  bull's  horn.  The  doctor  sewed  it  up  but  he  was 
an  invalid  for  a  long  time." — P.  C.  Merrill  Autobi- 
ography. 


78  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

The  Colonel  and  his  staff  were  there, 
Mounted,  and  witnessing  the  war; 
A  bull,  one  hundred  yards  away, 
Eyed  Colonel  Cooke  as  easy  prey. 

But  Corp'ral  Frost  stood  bravely  by, 
And  watch'd  the  bull  with  steady  eye; 
The  brute  approach'd  near  and  more  near, 
But  Frost  betray'd  no  sign  of  fear. 

The  Colonel  ordered  him  to  run; 
Unmoved  jie  stood  with  loaded  gun; 
The  bull  came  up  with  daring  tread, 
When  near  his  feet,  Frost  shot  him  dead  * 

Whatever  cause,  we  did  not  know, 
But  something  prompted  them  to  gO; 
When  all  at  once  in  frantic  fright, 
The  bulls  ran  bellowing  out  of  sight. 


*"The  corporal  was  on  foot  while  the  Colonel 
and  his  staff  were  mounted.  On  the  first  ap- 
proach of  the  bull,  the  Colonel  with  his  usual  firm 
manner,  ordered  the  corporal  to  load  his  gun.  To 
this  command  he  -aid  no  attention.  Thinking  him 
stupid,  he  ordered  him  to  run,  but  he  did  not 
move.  Frost  aimed  his  musket  very  deliberately, 
and  only  fired  when  the  bull  was  within  six  paces, 
and  it  fell  headlong  almost  at  his  feet.  He  had 
stood  firm  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life  to  protect 
his  brave  but  austere  commander,  thus  showing  a 
brave,  generous  and  forgiving  heart,  and  Colonel 
Cooke  said  'he  was  one  of  the  bravest  men  I 
ever  saw.'  " — Mormon  Battalion  History. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  79 

And  when  the  fearful  fight  was  o'er, 
And  sound  of  muskets  heard  no  more, 
At  least  a  score  of  bulls  were  found 
And  two  mules  dead  upon  the  ground. 

We  followed  on  down  the  river  and  soon 
passed  near  the  base  of  the  mountains  which 
extend  towards  the  Gila  River,  traveling  nearly 
north.    Our  orders  now  were  : 

*  *  *  *  *  \ye  wjjj  marcn  to  Tucson. 
We  came  not  to  make  war  on  Sonora,  and  less 
still  to  destroy  an  important  outpost  of  de- 
fense against  the  Indians ;  but  we  will  take  the 
straight  road  before  us  and  overcome  all  re- 
sistance. But  shall  I  remind  you  that  the 
American  soldier  ever  shows  justice  and  kind- 
ness to  the  unarmed  and  unresisting?  The 
property  of  individuals  you  will  hold  sacred. 
The  people  of  Sonora  are  not  our  enemies. 
By  order  of 

Lieut.  Col.  Cooke, 
(Signed)     P.  C.  Merrill,  Adjutant. 

After  traveling  some  eight  or  nine  miles 
we  struck  a  trail  leading  to  Tuscon.  Our  Col- 
onel learned  here  from  some  Mexican  soldiers 
that  great  excitement  prevailed  at  Tucson  be- 


80  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

cause  it  was  rumored  there  that  a  large  force 
of  American  soldiers  was  approaching  the 
fort.  A  message  was  therefore  sent  to  Colonel 
Comaduran  at  the  post,  that  the  people  need 
not  be  alarmed,  as  we  were  their  friends  and 
would  do  them  no  harm,  but  would  simply  pur- 
chase some  supplies  and  pass  on. 

When  near  the  post  about  a  dozen  well- 
armed  men,  in  citizens'  dress,  met  and  accom- 
panied us  to  the  town.  Before  passing  through 
the  gate  a  halt  was  called,  and  Colonel  Cooke 
stated  that  the  citizens  and  soldiers  had  de- 
serted the  town  leaving  their  property  behind 
them,  and  although  it  was  in  our  power  there 
must  be  no  interference  with  private  property. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  81 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ON   TO  THE  PACIFIC. 


A  Midnight  Alarm — Unfortunate  Attempt  to  Nav- 
igate the  Gila — First  Sight  of  the  Ocean — Safe 
at  San  Diego — Col.  Cooke's  Classic  Congratula- 
tions. \ 

WHEN  we  marched  through  the  deserted 
streets  of  Tucson  some  aged  men  and 
some  women  and  children  brought  us  water, 
thus  showing  us  respect  and  kindness.  We 
made  no  halt  in  the  town  but  traveled  down 
the  stream  about  a  half  mile  and  camped. 
Colonel  Cooke  returned  to  the  post  and  ob- 
tained some  public  wheat  for  feeding  our 
teams,  and  also  some  salt  which  we  had  been 
without  for  several  days. 

About  midnight  we  were  roused  by  signal 
guns  being  fired;  then  we  heard  Lieutenant 
George  Oman  calling  excitedly :  "Beat  that 
drum,  beat  that  drum — if  you  can't  beat  that 
drum,  beat  that  fife !"  then  ordered  every  man 


82  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

into  line ;  campfires  were  replenished  and  the 
music  began  playing  a  lively  tune,  while  each 
company  formed  into  column;  when  suddenly 
the  stern  voice  of  Colonel  Cooke  ordered 
"Cease  that  music  !  Dust  those  lights  !"  This 
was  instantly  done  and  he  stationed  us  on  eith- 
er side  of  the  road  about  ten  feet  apart. 

Here  we  stood  while  a  party  was  sent  on 
ahead  to  see  what  was  the  trouble.  They  were 
gone  so  long  that  another  detachment  with 
Brother  Reddick  Allred  at  their  head  was  sent 
to  look  after  their  safety.  In  about  an  hour 
all  parties  returning  and  nothing  seeming  to  be 
alarming  we  were  allowed  to  retire,  being  in- 
structed to  have  our  arms  in  easy  reach  and  to 
remember  our  places.  Nothing  further  came 
to  alarm,  and  we  felt  that  the  prophecy  of 
Brigham  Young  was  being  fulfilled  as  "we  had 
seen  no  fighting  except  with  wild  beasts." 

On  the  next  day  we  moved  onward,  and  at 
9  o'clock  we  camped  without  water,  having 
traveled  twenty-four  miles.  Some  of  our  worn- 
out  famished  men  came  straggling  into  camp 
at  all  hours  of  the  night,  and  in  the  morning 
all  who  were  able  traveled  on,  over  a  kind  of 


CHRISTOPHER   LAYTON.  83 

baked  clay  with  occasional  sand  beds  to  pull 
through.  Company  C  was  in  the  rear  of  the 
others  and  Lieutenant  Rosecrans  left  his  men 
and  rode  into  the  hills  in  search  of  water,  and 
found  a  hole  some  distance  from  the  road.  He 
took  the  foremost  of  us  to  it,  then  filled  their 
canteens,  rode  back  to  the  famishing  men,  gave 
us  what  water  he  had  and  led  us  to  the  spring. 
We  drank  our  fill  but  the  water  soon  became 
muddy,  but  we  cooked  a  few  provisions  and 
went  on  to  overtake  the  command,  which  we 
did  about  3  o'clock  in  the  morning,  having 
passed  many  brethren  lying  by  the  way  beg- 
ging for  water. 

The  advance  struck  water  and  camped  about 
noon  the  next  day,  and  several  took  mules  and 
canteens  and  came  back  to  relieve  the  suffer- 
ings of  their  comrades,  and  thus  doubtless 
saved  the  lives  of  many  of  us.  All  the  after- 
noon the  poor  straggling  men  came  into  camp. 

When  we  reached  the  Gila  River  we  made  a 
halt,  and  while  here  hundreds  of  Pima  Indians 
came  into  our  camps.  They  seemed  to  be  hon- 
est and  industrious  and  glad  to  see  us.  We 
went  through  one  village  of  them  containing 


84  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

near  four  thousand  inhabitants,  peaceable 
and  contented,  engaged  in  agriculture  and 
making  blankets. 

Here  we  traded  buttons  (cut  from  our 
clothes)  for  cakes  of  bread — and  also  some  old 
clothing  for  corn,  beans,  molasses,  squash,  etc. 
— but  in  the  evening  our  Colonel  ordered  all 
private  provisions  which  could  not  be  carried 
by  the  owners  to  be  left  on  the  ground.  This 
seemed  pretty  hard  when  we  were  on  only  half 
rations,  but  a  great  deal  was  left. 

On  the  23rd  and  24th  of  December  we 
camped  at  a  village  of  Maricopa  Indians,  hav- 
ing traveled  over  a  beautiful  plain  of  rich,  cul- 
tivated land.  Here  it  was  that  Colonel  Cooke 
suggested  to  our  senior  officer  that  this  vi- 
cinity would  be  a  good  place  for  the  exiled 
Saints  to  locate ;  which  suggestion  was  very 
favorably  received  by  the  Indians. 

We  spent  Christmas  day  by  marching  eight- 
een miles  from  Maricopa  village,  mainly  up 
hill  and  over  sand,  and  then  camped  without 
water.  The  following  day  we  advanced  twen- 
ty-three miles  and  camped  near  the  Gila.  We 
had  followed  around  the  base  of  a  mountain 


CHRISTOPHER    LAYTON.  85 

and  crossed  a  bend  in  the  river.  Our  route 
would  have  been  much  shorter  could  we  have 
gone  in  a  more  direct  line. 

We  now  traveled  very  slowly  as  the  way  was 
over  heavy  sandy  bottoms,  and  sometimes 
quicksand;  we  only  made  sixty  miles  in  six 
days,  and  even  then  the  men  had  to  work  hard 
at  helping  the  mules  pull  the  loads. 

As  we  traveled  down  the  river  we  found  rock 
covered  with  ancient  hieroglyphics,  including 
profiles  of  men,  beasts  and  reptiles.  Grass  was 
very  scarce  and  the  1st  of  January,  1847,  we 
cut  down  cottonwood  trees  for  our  animals  to 
browse  upon.  A  number  of  our  mules  died 
showing  strong  symptoms  of  poison,  but  we 
did  not  know  where  they  got  it. 

Colonel  Cooke  here  hit  upon  a  novel  plan  to 
convey  part  of  our  luggage  and  relieve  the 
tired  teams.  He  prepared  a  boat  of  two  pon- 
toon wagon-bodies  lashed  together,  end  to  end, 
between  two  dry  cottonwood  logs,  and  this*  cu- 
rious barge  was  loaded  with  twenty-five  hun- 
dred pounds  of  provisions  for  the  men  and  corn 
for  the  mules.  This  cast  a  gloom  over  u  s  for  we 
felt  that  there  ought  not  to  be  any  risks  taken 


86  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

with  our  already  scanty  supplies.  But  our  boat 
was  put  out  into  the  river  and  after  having 
some  trouble  getting  it  over  a  sand-bar  we  saw 
nothing  of  it  for  several  days. 

Now  we  were  ordered  to  have  another  re- 
duction of  rations — one  ounce  to  the  man.  Sev- 
eral of  the  men  had  already  fainted  from  hun- 
ger and  exhaustion,  and  it  seemed  that  a  few 
more  reductions  would  leave  nothing. 

On  the  8th  of  January  we  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  Gila  River.  In  the  absence  of  grass  our 
mules  were  fed  mesquite-beans ;  and  we  ground 
the  beans  in  our  coffee-mills  and  made  cakes  of 
the  meal ;  it  tasted  quite  delicious  to  us  starv- 
ing men. 

On  the  9th  a  march  of  ten  miles,  sometimes 
in  heavy  sand  and  sometimes  in  miry  clay, 
brought  us  to  the  crossing  of  the  Colorado, 
which  was  muddy  like  the  Missouri,  quite  as 
wide  but  not  as  deep  as  that  river.  Here  we 
were  overtaken  by  those  who  had  been  sent 
back  to  recover  the  provisions  left  on  the  Gila 
from  the  barge :  they  had  found  only  four  hun- 
dred pounds  of  flour  but  no  pork. 

All  the  next  day  and  night  we  spent  ferrying 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  87 

the  river  in  pontoon  wagon-boxes.  Two  mules 
were  drowned  while  being  driven  across.  Com- 
pany Cs  wagon  got  stuck  on  the  sand-bar  in 
the  river,  between  the  two  channels,  with  a 
broken-down  team.  The  Colonel  refused  to 
allow  the  other  companies  to  wait  or  render 
us  any  assistance,  but  proceeded  on  with  them. 
So,  in  order  to  extricate  the  wagon  from  the 
quicksand,  we  had  to  do  as  we  had  done  in  the 
desert,  get  out  and  help  pull,  though  we  were 
half-starved,  and  worn  out  through  the 
Colonel's  indiscretion  in  losing  our  food  by  the 
boat  disaster.  Our  team  was  so  broken  down 
that  a  few  miles  further  on  the  wagon  had 
to  be  abandoned. 

On  the  15th  we  marched  seven  miles  and 
reached  a  well  called  "Pozo  Hondo, "  which 
afforded  us  but  a  little  very  poor  water;  it 
served  however  to  save  life  until  better  could 
be  reached.  Here,  one  of  our  guides,  who  had 
been  sent  ahead  of  us  to  purchase  fresh  mules 
and  beef  cattle,  met  us  with  thirty-five  mules 
in  good  condition  and  ten  fat  beeves.  We 
were  not  long  in  killing  one  of  the  latter  ani- 
mals, and  it  was  a  great  treat  to  us. 


88  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

The  Indians  call  this  region  "the  hot  land," 
which  name  is  very  appropriate,  for  it  is  by 
far  the  hottest  country  I  ever  saw :  an  almost 
tropical  sun  in  day  time  and  a  December  at- 
mosphere at  night,  which  was  very  hurtful  and 
weakening  to  us  and  our  animals ;  our  clothing 
was  very  scanty  and  some  of  us  suffered  se- 
verely from  the  cold  nights. 

Words  cannot  describe  our  situation  at  this 
time;  it  was  very  trying  for  both  men  and 
mules.  Here  we  found  the  heaviest  sand,  the 
hottest  days  and  the  coldest  nights,  with  no  wa- 
ter and  little  food ;  we  were  nearly  bare-footed, 
some  using  rawhide  wrapped  around  their 
feet,  others  wrapped  cast-off  clothing  around 
to  protect  their  feet  from  the  burning  sand. 

When  we  arrived  at  Cariza,  a  small  creek, 
we  called  it  "first  running  water."  Many  of 
us  were  so  nearly  used  up  from  thirst,  hunger 
and  fatigue  that  we  could  not  speak  until  we 
had  a  cup  of  water.  About  sixteen  mules  gave 
out  and  our  fresh  ones  were  nearly  exhausted. 

On  the  17th  we  traveled  fifteen  miles  over 
very  heavy  sand,  and  camped  between  two 
mountains.     "Completely    worn    down,    some 


CHRISTOPHER   LAYTON.  89 

staggering  as  they  walked,  others,  unable  to 
keep  up  with  the  wagons,  slept  and  traveled 
at  intervals  and  did  not  reach  camp  until  day- 
light the  next  morning.  I  went  through  the 
companies  and  found  them  eating  their  last 
four  ounces  of  flour ;  of  sugar  and  coffee,  there 
had  been  none  for  some  weeks. "* 

During  the  day  we  received  a  letter  from  the 
governor  of  San  Diego,  promising  us  assist- 
ance. We  did  not  advance  on  the  18th  but 
spent  the  day  cleaning  up  our  arms,  and  in  the 
evening  the  men  were  paraded  and  inspected. 
The  Colonel  expressed  great  surprise  at  seeing 
us  singing  merry  songs  and  playing  the  fiddle 
when  we  were  so  wornout  and  hungry,  but  we 
were  thankful  to  our  Heavenly  Father  and  re- 
joiced that  our  journey  was  nearly  finished  and 
the  night  air  was  full  of  the  songs  of  the  Saints. 

On  the  19th  we  had  a  hard  travel  up  hill, 
over  a  mountain  ridge,  up  a  dry  ravine, 
through  openings  in  the  solid  rocks.  Our 
guides  knew  no  more  about  this  route  than  we 
did.  We  followed  the  ravine  until  we  found 
ourselves  in  a  passage  at  least  a  foot  narrower 


*Colonel  Cooke's  diary. 


90  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

than  our  wagons.  Our  tools  were  nearly  all 
lost  by  the  boat  disaster,  but  we  had  a  few  axes, 
a  crowbar  and  a  spade  or  two.  With  these  we 
set  to  work,  Colonel  Cooke  taking  an  ax  and 
helping  us.  We  widened  the  passage  and  got 
our  wagons  through  about  sundown,  when  we 
found  that  water  was  seven  or  eight  miles  fur- 
ther on,  so  we  traveled  till  dark  and  camped 
without  water,  but  had  good  grass  for  the 
animals. 

On  the  night  of  the  20th  we  camped  with 
plenty  of  water — a  blessing  which  we  all  ap- 
preciated. 

We  now  received  orders  to  march  directly  to 
San  Diego  instead  of  Los  Angeles  as  we  had 
intended. 

On  the  21st  we  came  to  Warner's  rancho, 
this  being  the  first  house  we  had  seen  since 
entering  California.  The  weather  was  cold  and 
cloudy  and  looked  like  snow.  We  crossed  the 
mountain  ridge  dividing  the  waters  of  the 
Colorado  and  the  gulf  from  those  emptying  in- 
to the  Pacific.  We  camped  about  2  p.  m.  and 
were  met  here  by  those  who  had  gone  ahead 
for  supplies  and  here  we  had  a  full  meal  which 


CHRISTOPHER   LAYTON.  91 

consisted  of  fresh,  fat  beef,  without  salt,  and  a 
few  pancakes  purchased  from  the  Indians. 
Here  our  rations  were  raised  to  four  pounds  of 
beef  a  day,  but  we  had  no  other  food,  not  even 
salt,  until  on  the  23rd,  those  who  had  been  sent 
back  for  our  lost  provisions  came  in  with  about 
four  hundred  pounds  of  flour.  That  was  a  lit- 
tle more  than  a  pound  for  a  man,  and  we  usu- 
ally used  about  two  spoonfuls  each  day  to 
thicken  our  soup. 

We  had  very  heavy  rain  for  two  days  before 
leaving  Warner's.  Some  mules  strayed  away, 
but  a  friendly  Indian — Chief  Antonio — gath- 
ered them  up  for  us. 

On  January  25  we  received  a  dispatch  from 
General  Kearney,  ordering  us  to  meet  him  in 
San  Diego,  so  we  were  again  on  the  march, 
reaching  the  Temecula  Valley  that  day.  Here 
the  San  Luis  Rey  Indians  mistook  us  for  a 
band  of  Californians  and  both  parties  were 
drawn  up  in  battle  array  before  the  mistake 
was  discovered.  Then  the  Indians  were  pleased 
to  see  us  and  the  chief  men  shook  hands  heart- 
ily with  Colonel  Cooke  and  others. 

We  passed  through  the  San  Luis  Rey  Val- 


92  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

ley  and  found  grass  from  two  to  ten  inches 
high  and  plenty  of  wild  mustard  whose  young, 
tender  leaves  made  splendid  greens,  which  we 
enjoyed  with  our  beef.  We  also  saw  thou- 
sands of  wild  geese,  ducks  and  gulls. 

We  arrived  at  San  Luis  Rey,  a  deserted 
Catholic  mission,  about  noon  on  January  27, 
and  on  climbing  a  bluff  near  the  mission  the 
long,  long-looked-for  Pacific  Ocean  was  before 
us.  The  joy  that  filled  our  souls  none  but 
wornout  pilgrims  nearing  a  haven  of  rest  can 
imagine.  As  we  stood  on  its  borders,  looking 
at  its  beauty,  admiring  its  peaceful  serenity,  a 
cheer  arose  from  our  hearts  and  found  utter- 
ance as  one  voice,  and  we  forgot  that  we  were 
hungry,  ragged,  barefooted  or  far  from  home, 
and  we  gave  thanks  to  God  who  had  preserved 
our  lives  amid  such  sufferings  and  had  enabled 
us  to  endure  to  the  end  of  this  perilous  jour- 
ney ;  and  we  prayed  for  the  safety  and  comfort 
of  our  loved  ones  whom  we  had  left  so  far 
away.  But  we  knew  that  He  would  care  for 
His  Saints,  and  we  went  on  our  way  rejoic- 
ing and  took  up  our  quarters  five  miles  from 
San  Diego. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  93 

We  no  longer  suffered  from  the  hardships 
of  deserts  or  the  cold  atmosphere  of  the  snow- 
capped mountains,  for  January  here  was  as 
pleasant  as  May  in  the  Northern  States.  We 
traveled  in  sight  of  the  ocean,  in  the  mild  cli- 
mate and  clear  sunshine,  with  wild  oats,  grass 
and  mustard  growing  luxuriously  around  us ; 
the  soil  being  very  rich  and  the  water  clear  and 
good;  the  birds  sang  sweetly  and  our  hearts 
were  happy  as  we  joined  all  nature  in  praising 
the  Giver  of  all  good ;  and  on  the  29th  we  came 
in  sight  of  the  long-talked-of  San  Diego.  We 
camped  at  the  old  Catholic  mission  and  for 
the  first  time  in  our  lives  saw  olives,  date  and 
other  palm  trees. 

We  had  traveled  about  one  thousand  four 
hundred  miles  in  one  hundred  and  four  days, 
and  after  enduring  so  much  suffering,  it 
cheered  our  hearts  to  hear  the  following  or- 
ders, which  were  read  to  us  on  February  4 — 
and  were  received  with  a  hearty  cheer  by  the 
Battalion : 


94  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Headquarters  Mormon  Battalion, 

Mission  of  San  Diego, 
Jan.  30,  1847. 
Orders  No.   1. 

The  Lieut.  Col.  commanding  congratulates 
the  Battalion  on  their  safe  arrival  on  the  shore 
of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  the  conclusion  of  their 
march,  of  over  two  thousand  miles. 

History  may  be  searched  in  vain  for  an  equal 
march  of  infantry.  Half  of  it  has  been  through 
a  wilderness  where  nothing  but  savages  and 
wild  beasts  are  found,  or  deserts,  where,  for 
want  of  water,  there  is  no  living  creature. 
There,  with  almost  hopeless  labor  we  have  dug 
deep  wells,  which  the  future  traveler  will  en- 
joy. Without  a  guide  who  had  traversed  them, 
we  have  ventured  into  trackless  table-lands 
where  water  was  not  found  for  several 
marches.  With  crowbar  and  pick  and  ax  in 
hand,  we  have  worked  our  way  over  moun- 
tains, which  seemed  to  defy  aught  save  the  wild 
goat,  and  hewed  a  passage  through  a  chasm  of 
living  rock  more  narrow  than  our  wagons.  To 
bring  these  first  wagons  to  the  Pacific,  we  have 
preserved  the  strength  of  our  mules  by  herding 
them  over  large  tracts  which  you  have  labor- 
iously guarded  without  loss.  The  garrison  of 
four  presidios  of  Sonora  concentrated  within 
the  walls  of  Tucson,  gave  us  no  pause.  We 
drove  them  out,  with  their  artillery,  but  our 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  95 

intercourse  with  the  citizens  was  unmarked  by 
a  single  act  of  injustice.  Thus,  marching  half 
naked  and  half  fed,  and  living  upon  wild  ani- 
mals, we  have  discovered  and  made  a  road  of 
great  value  to  our  country. 

Arrived  at  the  first  settlement  in  California, 
after  a  single  day's  rest,  you  cheerfully  turned 
off  from  the  route  to  this  point  of  promised  re- 
pose, to  enter  upon  a  campaign,  and  meet,  as 
we  supposed,  the  approach  of  an  enemy;  and 
this  too  without  salt  to  season  your  sole  sub- 
sistence of  fresh  meat. 

Lieutenant  A.  J.  Smith  and  George  Stone- 
man,  of  the  First  Dragoons,  have  shared  and 
given  valuable  aid  in  all  these  labors. 

Thus,  volunteers,  you  have  exhibited  some 
high  and  essential  qualities  of  veterans.  But 
much  remains  undone.  Soon  you  will  turn 
your  attention  to  the  drill,  to  system  and  or- 
der, to  forms  also,  which  are  all  necessary  to 
the  soldier. 

By  order  of 

Lieut.  Col.  P.  St.  George  Cooke, 
P.  C.  Merrill,  Adjutant. 


96  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BATTALION   MUSTERED  OUT. 

Religious  Services  and  Daily  Routine — Mail  Car- 
rier and  on  Indian  Duty — Kearney's  Tribute  to 
"Mormons" — Civilian  Employment  as  Ranch 
Foreman. 

WHILE  in  garrison  we  made  it  a  rule, 
when  possible,  to  hold  religious  services 
on  Sunday,  which  were  presided  over  by  Cap- 
tain Hunt,  Father  Pettigrew  or  Brother  Han- 
cock. 

Our  daily  garrison  duties  were :  Roll  call  at 
daylight,  sick  call  at  7  :30  a.  m.,  breakfast  call 
at  8:40,  drill  at  10  a.  m.  and  3  p.  m.,  roll  call 
at  sundown,  tattoo  at  8:30,  and  taps  of  the 
drum  at  9  p.  m.,  after  which  lights  must  be 
out  except  in  case  of  sickness.  All  must  then 
retire. 

While  quartered  at  San  Diego,  Azariah 
Smith  composed  the  following  song : 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  97 

HARD   TIMES. 

In  forty-six  we  bade  adieu 
To   loving  friends   and  kindred   too; 
For  one  year's  service,  one  and  all 
Enlisted  at  our  country's  call, 
In  these  hard   times. 

We  onward  marched  until  we  gained 
Fort  Leavenworth,  where  we  obtained 
Our  outfit — each  a  musket  drew — 
Canteen,   knapsack,   and  money,   too — 
In  these  hard  times. 

Our  colonel  died — Smith  took  his  place, 
And  marched  us  on  at  rapid  pace; 
O'er  hills  and  plains  we  had  to  go, 
Through  herds  of  deer  and  buffalo, 
In   these   hard   times. 

O'er  mountains  and  through  valleys,  too, 
We  town  and  village  went  through; 
Through  forests  dense,  with  mazes  twined, 
Our  tedious  steps  we  had  to  wind, 
In  these  hard  times. 

At  length  we  came  to  Santa  Fe, 
As  much  fatigued  as  men  could  be; 
With  only  ten  days  there  to  stay, 
When  orders   came  to  march  away, 

In   these    hard   times. 
8 


98  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Three  days  and  twenty  we  marched  down 
Rio  Del  Norte,  past  many  a  town; 
Then  changed  our  course — resolved  to  go 
Across  the  mountains,  high  or  low, 
In    these    hard  times. 

We  found  the  mountains  very  high, 
Our  patience  and  our  strength  to  try; 
For,  on  half  rations,  day  by  day, 
O'er  mountain  heights  we  made  our  way, 
In  these   hard  times. 

Some  pushed  the  wagons  up  the  hills, 
Some  drove  the  teams,  some  packed  the 

mules, 
Some  stood  on  guard  by  night  and  day 
Lest  haplessly  our  teams  should  stray, 

In  these  hard  times. 

We  traveled  twenty  days  or  more, 
Adown  the  Gila  river's  shore — 
Crossed  o'er  the  Colorado  then, 
And  marched  upon  a  sandy  plain, 
In  these  hard  times. 

We  thirsted  much  from  day  to  day, 
And  mules   were   dying  by  the   way, 
When  lo!  to  view,  a  glad  scene  burst, 
Where  all  could  quench  our  burning  thirst, 
In  these  hard  times. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  99 

We  traveled  on  without  delay, 
And  quartered  at  San  Luis  Rey; 
We  halted  there  some  thirty  days, 
And  now  are  quartered  in  this  place, 
In  these  hard  times. 

A  "Mormon"  soldier  band  we  are: 
May  our  great  Father's  watchful  care 
In    safety  kindly   guide   our   feet, 
Till  we  again  our  friends  shall  meet, 
And  have  good  times. 

Oh,  yes,  we  trust  to  meet  our  friends 
Where  truth  its  light  to  all  extends — 
Whose  love  prevails  in  every  breast, 

Throughout  the  province  of  the  blest, 
And   have   good   times. 

While  the  Battalion  was  stationed  at  San 
Diego,  I  carried  the  United  States  mail  from 
San  Luis  Rey  to  Los  Angeles  and  back ;  but  as 
the  presence  of  soldiers  was  needed  in  Los  An- 
geles to  hold  that  place,  Companies  C,  A,  D 
and  E  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  that  place, 
on  March  19th,  traveling  over  broken  country 
near  the  seashore,  and  arrived  there  about  noon 
on  the  23rd.  There  were  no  provisions  to  be 
got  here  and  on  the  25th,  (our  supplies  which 


100  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

we  had  brought  with  us  being  nearly  exhaust- 
ed), an  eight-mule  team  was  despatched  for  a 
fresh  supply  from  San  Diego.  I  drove  the 
mules. 

On  April  6  a  petition  was  circulated  and 
signed  by  most  of  the  soldiers,  asking  for  our 
discharge,  asserting  that  as  peace  was  declared 
our  services  could  now  be  dispensed  with  and 
we  were  needed  at  home  to  aid  our  outcast 
families ;  but  it  was  never  presented  to  Colonel 
Cooke  as  some  of  the  officers  wished  us  to  en- 
list again  with  Captain  Hunt  as  Lieutenant 
Colonel. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  Californians  were 
not  allowed  to  bear  arms  the  following  orders 
were  issued  for  their  protection  from  maraud- 
ing bands  of  Indians : 

Headquarters  Southern  Military  District, 

Los  Angeles,  April  11,  1847. 
Orders  No.  7. 

(l)Company  C  Mormon  Battalion  will 
march  tomorrow  and  take  post  in  the  canyon 
pass  of  the  mountains  about  forty-five  miles 
eastward  of  this  town.  Lieutenant  Rosecrans, 
its  commander,  will  select  a  spot  for  his  camp 
as  near  to  the  narrowest  and  most  defensible 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  101 

part  as  the  convenience  of  water,  feed  and 
grass  will  admit  of,  and,  if  necessary,  effectu- 
ally to  prevent  a  passage  of  hostile  Indians  with 
or  without  horses  he  will  erect  a  sufficient  cover 
of  logs  or  earth.  It  will  be  his  duty  to  guard 
the  pass  effectually,  and,  if  necessary,  to  send 
out  armed  parties,  either  on  foot  or  mounted, 
to  defend  the  ranchos  of  the  vicinity,  or  to  at- 
tack wandering  parties  of  wild  Indians. 

P.  St.  George  Cooke, 
Lieut.  Col.  Commanding. 

So  on  the  12th  of  April,  Company  C 
marched  to  Cajon  Pass,  where  we  remained  un- 
til we  were  relieved  by  Lieutenant  Pace's  de- 
tachment on  the  23rd,  when  we  returned  to  Los 
Angeles. 

Although  despised  by  many,  the  dragoons 
were  always  our  staunch  friends,  and  often 
when  bullies  came  into  town  and  began  to  im- 
pose upon  the  "Mormon  boys,"  the  dragoons 
would  not  allow  us  to  take  our  own  part,  but 
would  say :  "Stand  back !  you  are  religious 
men  and  we  are  not;  we  will  take  all  of  your 
fights  into  our  hands,  and  you  shall  not  be 
imposed  upon  by  them." 

On  the  9th  of  May  General  Kearney  (ac- 


102  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

companied  by  Colonel  Stevenson  and  other  offi- 
cers of  note)  arrived  at  Los  Angeles  from 
Monterey;  and  on  the  10th  he  addressed  the 
Battalion.  He  dwelt  at  some  length  upon  our 
arduous  journey,  our  patriotism  to  the  govern- 
ment, obedience  to  orders,  etc.  No  commander 
could  ever  have  given  more  praise  to  any  corps 
of  veterans  than  was  given  us  by  this  grand  old 
Colonel.  He  sympathized  with  us  in  the  unset- 
tled condition  of  our  people,  said  he  would  take 
pleasure  in  representing  our  patriotism  to  the 
President  and  in  the  halls  of  Congress,  and 
give  us  the  justice  our  praiseworthy  conduct 
had  merited.  He  said  history  might  be  searched 
in  vain  for  a  march  equal  to  ours — while 
" Bonaparte  crossed  the  Alps,  these  men  have 
crossed  a  continent." 

A  number  of  our  men  now  re-enlisted  for 
six  months — being  promised  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  pay  and  rations  to  San  Francisco  or  to 
Bear  River  Valley,  with  a  detachment  to  act 
as  pioneers  for  them;  we  were  also  promised 
that  we  might  obtain  work  and  earn  money 
whenever  off  duty.  Accordingly  I  obtained  a 
furlough  and  engaged  work  with  a  Mr.  Wil- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  103 

liams  who  owned  a  large  ranch  of  several 
hundreds  of  acres  and  great  herds  of  cattle  and 
horses ;  also  a  large  soap  factory. 

On  July  15,  1847,  we  went  into  Los  Angeles 
and  the  next  day  at  3  o'clock  p.  m.  the  five 
companies  of  the  Battalion  were  formed  in  line 
according  to  letter  of  company,  A  in  front 
and  E  in  rear.  Lieutenant  (A.  J.  Smith 
then  marched  down  and  back  between  the  lines 
and  said  in  a  low  voice :  "You  are  discharged." 
None  of  the  men  regretted  his  brevity :  in  fact 
it  rather  pleased  us. 

On  the  20th,  having  drawn  my  pay,  I  re- 
turned to  Chino  ranch,  where  I  worked  as 
foreman  for  Williams  for  about  a  year  and  a 
half;  the  work  was  easy,  for  my  horse  was 
saddled  for  me  in  the  morning  and  all  I  had 
to  do  was  to  ride  around  and  see  that  the  men 
kept  at  their  work  and  followed  orders. 

And  now  I  will  leave  the  Battalion  by  quot- 
ing a  song  about  them  which  was  composed 
by  Thomas  Morris  and  is  much  liked  by  all 
our  people. 


104  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 


MORMON  BATTALION. 

All  hail  the  brave  Battalion! 

The    noble,    valiant   band, 
That  went  and  served  our  country 

With  willing  heart  and  hand. 
Altho'   we're   called   disloyal 

By  many   a  tongue   and  pen, 
Our  nation  boasts  no  soldiers 

So  true   rs   "Mormon"   men. 

O'er  many  a  barren  desert 

Our  weary  feet  have  trod, 
To  find   where,  unmolested, 

The  Saints  can  worship  God. 
We've  built  up  many  cities — 

We're   building  temples,  too; 
Which  prove  to  all  beholders 

What  "Mormon"  hands  can  do. 

We  settled  here  in  Utah 

Upon  a  sterile  soil, 
And  by  our  faith  and  patience 

And  hard,  unflinching  toil, 
And  thro'  the  daily  blessings 

Our   Father,  God,  bestows, 
The  once  forbidding  desert 

Now  blossoms  as  the  rose. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  105 

What  tho'  the  wicked  hate  us, 

And  'gainst  our  rights  contend; 
And,   through   their   vile   aggressions, 

Our   brotherhood   would   rend? 
The  keys  of  truth  and  knowledge 

And  power  to  us  belong; 
And  we'll  extend  our  borders 

And  make  our  bulwarks  strong. 

Our  sons  are  growing  mighty, 

And  they  are  spreading  forth, 
To  multiply  our  numbers 

And  beautify  the  earth. 
All  hail,  the  brave  Battalion! 

The  noble,  valiant  band, 
That  went  and  served  our  country 

With  willing  heart  and  hand. 


106  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


LIFE  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


Visit  to  England — Across  the  Plains  to  Salt  Lake 
— Successes  in  Business — Marriages  and  Births 
— Seven  Eventful  Years. 

IN  the  spring  of  1849  I  went  to  Sutter's 
ranch  and  worked  in  the  gold  diggings,  but 
as  that  kind  of  work  did  not  suit  me  at  all  I 
only  stayed  three  days.  I  then  broke  mules — 
that  is,  I  taught  them  to  pack,  for  a  while,  then 
went  back  to  Southern  California  and  there 
bought  a  band  of  horses  at  $1.50  a  head  and 
started  for  San  Francisco,  selling  some  along 
the  way,  and  realized  a  hundred  dollars  apiece 
for  them. 

One  day,  while  riding,  my  horse  fell  on  me 
and  broke  my  leg.  A  family  by  the  name  of 
Otterson — a  widow  and  two  daughters — took 
care  of  me  for  three  months;  they  were  good 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  107 

people  and  they  were  very  kind  to  me.  When 
[  was  able  to  walk  on  crutches  I  sold  the  re- 
maining horses ;  gave  one  to  each  of  the  Otter- 
son  girls  (with  a  saddle  and  bridle),  and  to 
their  mother  I  gave  two  horses,  a  buggy  and 
harness.  Then  I  bought  a  ticket  for  Eng- 
land, but  before  I  went  on  shipboard,  I  sent 
my  money  (which  was  a  large  amount)  to  the 
Bank  of  England  and  also  a  letter  to  my  folks, 
telling  them  how  to  obtain  it  if  I  never  arrived. 

I  went  on  board  the  vessel  "James  Pennell" 
— still  on  crutches,  and  sailed  by  way  of  Cape 
Horn  and  arrived  in  Liverpool  in  March,  1850, 
without  any  accidents  or  incidents  and  found 
my  money  all  right. 

After  paying  my  tithing  to  Apostle  Orson 
Pratt,  I  went  to  my  old  home,  and  found  that 
my  mother  had  been  dead  two  weeks. 

On  May  3,  1850,  in  Sandy  church,  Bedford- 
shire, Sarah  Martin  and  I  were  married  by  the 
Rev.  Cook. 

There  were  many  of  the  Saints  in  England 
who  were  anxious  to  come  to  Utah,  but  had 
not  means  to  do  so;  I  therefore  engaged  pas- 
sage for  them  on  the  ship  "James  Pennell," 


108  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

and  on  October  2,  1850,  we  set  sail  from  our 
native  land  for  America,  as  I  had  done  seven 
years  before.  In  our  company  was  my  wife, 
my  father — Samuel  Layton — a  young  lady — 
Sarah  Barnes — a  companion  of  my  wife,  and 
a  niece  of  ours — Priscilla  Martin.  There  were 
also  two  hundred  and  fifty  more  Saints  on  the 
ship  of  whom  I  had  the  charge. 

After  seven  weeks  tossing  on  the  ocean  we 
arrived  at  New  Orleans,  November  22,  and 
took  the  steamer  "Amaranth"  up  the  river  to 
St.  Louis,  arriving  there  December  4. 

Apostle  Orson  Hyde  counseled  me  to  stay 
here  and  rent  a  farm  that  I  might  employ  the 
men  who  had  come  over  with  me,  and  thus 
give  them  an  opportunity  to  pay  the  money 
back.  Therefore  I  settled  my  family  in  St. 
Louis,  on  Fourth  and  Poplar  streets,  for  the 
winter.  I  rented  Mr.  McPherson's  farm  south 
of  Bellefontaine  Cemetery  in  the  spring,  built 
a  house  and  moved  my  family  out  there. 

On  May  1,  1851,  a  son  was  born  to  us,  and 
we  named  him  William,  but  in  August  that 
year  the  little  one  had  chills  and  fever,  and 
died. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  109 

In  the  spring  of  1852  I  started  with  my 
family  for  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  but  while 
camped  in  the  woods  near  Kansas  City,  Mo., 
I  received  word  to  go  to  Lexington,  Mo.  to 
aid  in  purchasing  cattle  for  the  first  (English) 
emigration  company.  I  therefore  went,  pur- 
chased the  cattle,  left  them  at  Kearney's  ranch, 
returned  to  my  family  and  took  them  to  the 
ranch — having  been  absent  from  the  family 
about  three  weeks.  The  company  having  en- 
camped at  Keokuk  preparatory  to  crossing 
the  plains,  was  under  the  charge  of  A.  O. 
Smoot,  as  captain,  and  I  was  appointed  his 
assistant ;  but  after  the  company  started  Broth- 
er Smoot  was  taken  very  sick  with  cholera  and 
I  was  given  entire  charge  of  the  company. 

As  we  were  journeying  on  over  the  plains 
we  met  Apostles  John  Taylor,  Ezra  T.  Ben- 
son and  Jedediah  Grant,  who  were  on  their 
way  East,  so  we  camped  and  they  remained 
with  us  for  three  days,  and  each  night  we  held 
a  meeting.  The  singing  was  furnished  by 
three  young  ladies  from  England.  We  had  a 
good  time  and  our  spiritual  strength  was  re- 
newed while  we  went  on  our  way  rejoicing. 


110  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  with  us  in  out 
journey  and  no  lives  were  lost  nor  any  one 
hurt,  although  we  passed  through  many  dan- 
gerous experiences,  and  arrived  in  Salt  Lake 
City  September  3,  1852,  with  fifty-two  wag- 
ons. 

While  at  Red  Butte  we  were  met  by  Presi- 
dent Brigham  Young,  and  he  said:  "If  that 
ain't  the  best  outfit  that  ever  landed  in  Salt 
Lake!" 

I  had  brought  with  me  a  new  threshing  ma- 
chine (one  of  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first, 
in  Utah);  three  new  wagons;  one  carriage; 
several  head  of  good  horses ;  one  hundred 
head  of  stock — some  of  which  were  blooded 
Durhams.  I  set  up  the  machine  at  once  and 
put  the  men  at  work  threshing  grain;  turned 
the  stock  out  on  west  Jordan  range  for  the 
winter  and  bought  a  house  in  the  Fifteenth 
ward  on  First  South  and  Fourth  West  streets, 
and  built  a  large  room  on  it  in  which  to  store 
the  grain. 

On  September  26,  1852,  Sarah  Barnes  and 
I  were  married,  at  Salt  Lake  City. 

In  October  I  went  to  West  Jordan,  built  a 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  Ill 

shanty  about  a  mile  from  the  river,  and  moved 
the  family  over  on  November  9,  1852.  The 
snow  was  so  deep,  it  drove  before  the  axle  of 
the  wagon  and  when  we  reached  our  home, 
the  snow  which  had  been  melting  was  dripping 
from  the  house  and  there  was  not  a  dry  place  to 
be  found  on  the  floor.  I  went  down  to  the 
river  and  cut  willows  and  carried  them  to  the 
house  on  my  back.  Then  I  climbed  on  the 
roof,  one  of  my  wives  handing  the  willows  up 
to  me  and  I  spread  them  out  on  the  roof; 
after  which  we  threw  dirt  on  them  to  keep 
out  the  water.  I  brought  willows  from  the 
river  and  while  they  were  green,  my  father 
would  tie  them  into  bundles  for  fuel.  The 
winter  was  very  severe  and  our  winter's  wood 
consisted  of  these  willow  bundles  and  a  few 
slabs  which  I  bought  at  Gardner's  mill,  for 
twenty-five  cents  each. 

One  night  we  had  a  severe  snow  storm  from 
the  north;  we  heard  a  pitiful  "whinney"  and 
when  I  got  up  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  I 
found  a  favorite  blooded  mare  standing  at  the 
door  as  if  asking  mercy  from  the  driving 
storm.     I  let  her  inside  and  there  she  stayed 


112  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

until  the  storm  was  over.  No  doubt  this 
saved  her  life. 

The  year  1852  was  notable,  not  only  for 
continued  extension  and  the  growth  of  Utah 
settlements,  but  also  for  improvements  of  dif- 
ferent kinds  projected  and  forwarded  at  va- 
rious points.  Mountains  of  coal  and  iron  were 
discovered  in  southern  Utah ;  a  fine  quality  of 
beautiful  white  building  stone  was  found  near 
Manti,  Sanpete  County.  This  year  our  people 
sent  a  block  of  the  Manti  rock  to  the  Wash- 
ington Monument.  It  was  three  feet  long, 
two  feet  wide  and  six  and  a  half  inches  thick. 
In  the  center  was  carved  a  bee-hive  and  un- 
der it  the  word  "Deseret,"  and  over  the  hive 
was  the  All-Seeing  Eye — the  whole  surmount- 
ed and  flanked  by  foliage,  beautifully  wrought 
by  the  chisel  of  William  Ward. 

Many  new  buildings  were  erected — a  wool- 
en mill  and  sugar  factory,  cutlery  works  and 
potteries  were  also  started. 

On  New  Year's  day  1853,  the  Social  Hall 
in  Salt  Lake  City  was  dedicated. 

On  January  1,  1853,  Sarah  M.  gave  birth 
to  another  son,  to  whom  we  gave  the  name 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  113 

of  Christopher.  Beginning  about  four  o'clock 
that  afternoon,  the  rain  continued  to  fall  all 
night.  As  our  roof  leaked  we  covered  the 
mother  and  new  baby  with  an  oil-skin  over- 
coat and  raised  a  large  umbrella  over  them. 
We  also  kept  up  a  fire  all  night  and  as  every- 
thing was  very  wet,  whenever  the  room  would 
get  warm  the  steam  would  rise  until  we  could 
scarcely  see  across  the  room.  The  blessing  of 
the  Lord  rested  upon  us,  however,  and  in  two 
or  three  weeks  all  were  again  well  and  had 
felt  no  inconvenience  from  our  steam  bath  : 
surely  "God  tempers  the  blast  to  the  shorn 
lamb/' 

Here  is  inserted  a  copy  of  a 

PATRIARCH  I AL    BLESSING, 

Given  in  Great  Salt  Lake  City,  March  16, 
1853,  by  John  Smith,  Patriarch,  upon  the  head 
of  Christopher  Layton,  son  of  Samuel  and 
Isabel  Layton,  born  at  Bedfordshire,  Eng- 
land, March  8,  1820 : 

I  lay  my  hands  upon  your  head  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ  and  seal  upon  you  a  father's 
blessing,  even  all  the  blessings  that  were  be- 


114  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

stowed  upon  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and 
the  children  of  Israel  in  Egypt  for  you  are  of 
the  blood  of  Joseph  and  a  lawful  heir  to  the 
everlasting  priesthood,  which  shall  be  sealed 
upon  you  in  fullness  in  the  due  time  of  the 
Lord,  teaching  you  the  principles  of  the  priest- 
hood and  mysteries  that  have  been  kept  hid 
from  before  the  foundations  of  the  world.  You 
are  appointed  to  preach  the  gospel  to  nations 
afar  off,  to  the  islands  of  the  sea,  to  kings, 
rulers,  and  great  men  of  the  earth ;  they  shall 
obey  thy  voice;  you  shall  baptize  many  and 
bring  them  to  Zion  with  vast  stores  of  riches ; 
baptize  many  that  sail  in  ships,  have  power 
over  the  waters  to  turn  them  whichsoever  way 
thou  wilt.  You  shall  be  blessed  in  your  fam- 
ily with  health,  peace  and  plenty — they  shall 
increase  like  Jacob.  Be  mighty  in  the  priest- 
hood ;  you  shall  be  a  counselor  in  Zion  and 
preside  over  one  of  her  stakes ;  have  wisdom 
to  conduct  all  affairs  in  the  best  possible  way; 
are  to  see  the  winding  up  scenes  of  this  gen- 
eration ;  see  wickedness  swept  from  the  earth, 
Zion  re-established  in  peace,  no  more  to  be 
thrown  down !  Finally  you  shall  inherit  all  the 
blessings  of  the  Redeemer's  Kingdom  for  ever. 
Amen. 

In  the  spring  of  1853  I  sold  my  place  to 
Wm.  Price  (now  bishop  of  Goshen)  and  built 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  115 

another  small  house  near  Gardner's  mill  and 
moved  the  family  thither.  I  also  built  a  milk 
house  as  we  milked  a  number  of  cows,  and 
during  the  summer  my  wives  made  and  sold 
$20  worth  of  butter,  and  with  that  bought 
furniture  for  the  house.  In  August  I  moved 
the  family  into  Salt  Lake,  and  having  business 
at  Fort  Bridger  I  went  to  that  place,  and  was 
gone  a  few  weeks. 

On  September  8,  1853,  a  son  was  born  to 
my  wife,  Sarah  B.,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  we 
gave  him  the  name  of  Hyrum  John.  I  built 
a  butcher  shop  near  the  Globe  Bakery  on  Main 
street,  and  here  we  lived  until  the  spring  of 
1854. 

On  the  12th  of  December  I  received  in 
Salt  Lake  City  the  papers  which  made  me  a 
citizen  of  the  United  States — the  country  of 
my  adoption. 

Going  to  the  Jordan  range  I  built  another 
house  and  moved  part  of  the  family  out  there 
in  1854,  but  during  the  summer  I  sold  all  of 
my  stock  and  bought  some  lots  on  Emigration 
street — half  a  block  west  of  State  road— and 
built  a  good  adobe  house — a  two  story  one — 


116  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

on  one  of  these  lots,  and  had  another  butcher 
shop  at  the  residence. 

In  December,  1854,  Isabella  Golightly  and  I 
were  married  in  Salt  Lake  City,  President 
Brigham  Young  officiating. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  I  started  two  butcher 
shops,  and  was  greatly  assisted  in  this  busi- 
ness by  my  family.  During  the  emigration 
season  we  sold  as  high  as  eleven  beeves  a 
week,  and  in  order  that  there  might  be  nothing 
wasted  or  lost,  my  wives  made  soap  and  can- 
dles out  of  the  fat  and  tallow.  Sometimes  we 
made  $100  worth  of  soap  in  a  week,  and 
twelve  pounds  of  tallow  candles  in  a  day. 

We  always  made  a  point  of  remembering 
the  poor,  the  widows  and  missionaries'  wives 
in  Salt  Lake  City. 

In  the  fall,  as  the  people  were  getting  very 
much  in  my  debt,  I  closed  up  my  butcher 
shops,  being  so  advised  by  President  Young, 
and  bought  a  farm  from  S.  M.  Blair,  at 
Grantsville,  Tooele  County,  he  having  pur- 
chased my  Salt  Lake  property.  I  moved  the 
family  out  to  the  farm.  During  the  summer 
of  1855,  my  wife  Sarah  M.  gave  birth  to  a 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  117 

stillborn  baby  girl,  caused  by  a  fall  into  a 
cellar.  Here,  on  December  6,  1855,  my  wife 
Isabella  G.  gave  birth  to  a  son,  whom  we 
named  John  Henry. 

On  February  18,  1856,  my  wife,  Sarah  B., 
gave  birth  to  a  daughter,  whom  we  named 
Mary  Ann. 

On  April  12,  1856,  Caroline  Cooper  and  I 
were  married  at  Salt  Lake  City,  President 
Brigham  Young  officiating. 


118  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PIONEERING  IN   CARSON  VALLEY. 

Perils  of  the  Journey — Brigham  Young's  Promise 
— Labors  in  Carson — Called  back  to  Utah — 
Thrilling  Experiences — At  Home  Again. 

HAVING  been  called  with  many  others  to 
migrate  to  Carson  Valley,  I  began  to  get 
things  arranged  for  going  away.  I  had  not 
been  on  the  farm  long  enough  to  realize  any 
benefit  from  it.  I  made  a  trade  with  a  Mr. 
Cooley  for  a  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  some 
money:  so  that  by  the  end  of  April  we  were 
ready  to  travel.  My  families  began  to  think 
we  were  like  the  pilgrims  of  old  and  had  no 
certain  dwelling  place. 

Our  company  consisted  of  the  families  of 
Wm.  Jennings,  Wm.  Nixon,  Peregrine  Ses- 
sions, Albert  P.  Dewey,  Wm.  Kay,  Geo.  Neb- 
eker,  and  my  own  family. 

We  camped  at  Black  Rock  the  second  night 
out,   and   in   the  morning  we   found   several 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  119 

inches  of  snow  on  the  ground,  which  made 
it  rather  unpleasant  for  the  babies,  but  the 
women  all  took  matters  cheerfully  and  we  had 
our  breakfast,  and  traveled  on.  We  camped 
at  Warm  Springs  at  Kay's  Creek  one  night; 
nothing  happened  of  much  moment,  except 
one  or  two  nights  the  cattle  started  back  home, 
thus  delaying  us  somewhat. 

While  we  were  camped  on  Bear  River,  we 
met  President  Young  and  company  who  were 
going  to  explore  Bear  Lake  Valley. 

Brother  Brigham  remarked  :  "Brother  Lay- 
ton,  you  have  more  stock  than  the  whole 
Church."  "Brother  Young,  they  are  all  at 
your  disposal,"  I  answered.  "Oh,  no.  I  don't 
want  them,"  he  said.  So  I  picked  out  ten 
head  of  my  best  cows  and  made  him  a  pres- 
ent of  them.  President  Young  then  blessed  me 
and  my  family  and  said  not  one  of  us  should 
fall  by  the  way;  and  it  was  true,  for  we  all 
lived  to  complete  our  journey  and  we  did  not 
lose  any  of  our  stock.  We  camped  on  the  Bear 
River  until  more  of  our  company  came  up, 
and  we  crossed  over  the  river  on  the  10th  of 
May. 


120  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

We  continued  our  journey  westward,  and 
on  the  28th  of  May  my  wife  Sarah  M.  gave 
birth  to  a  little  daughter  whom  we  named  Eliza 
Ann ;  we  camped  at  the  head  of  the  Humboldt 
River  for  a  half-day  and  then  traveled  on.  In 
ten  days  my  wife's  health  was  restored  to  that 
degree  that  she  walked  a  mile  without  injury, 
thus  proving  to  us  that  our  Heavenly  Father 
was  taking  care  of  us  and  blessing  us  as 
Brigham  Young  had  prophesied  to  us. 

I  have  ever  found  that  when  we  are  in  the 
line  of  our  duty  and  retain  our  faith  in  the 
promises  of  God  and  his  inspired  servants,  we 
are  watched  over  by  him  who  holds  all  things 
in  his  power,  and  protected  from  sickness  or 
evil. 

When  we  reached  Gravelly  Ford  on  the 
Humboldt,  we  found  the  river  much  swollen 
and  still  rising,  so  the  most  of  the  company 
were  afraid  to  cross  it  that  night,  but  I  put  all 
my  family  in  a  large  wagon — named  the  Santa 
Fe — which  was  loaded  with  salt;  then  I 
hitched  twelve  yoke  of  oxen  to  it,  and  started 
into  the  water.  All  went  well  until  we  reached 
the  middle  of  the  stream  when  the  cattle  lost 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  121 

their  feet  and  began  to  go  down  stream,  while 
Brother  Jennings  and  I  were  trying  our  best 
to  turn  them  back — and  James  Wrathall,  be- 
ing on  one  of  the  lead  cattle,  was  a  great  help 
to  us.  During  this  critical  time  when  we  were 
struggling  with  the  still  rising  waters  and  my 
family  was  praying  for  deliverance"*from  a  wa- 
tery grave,  the  rest  of  the  company  which  we 
left  on  the  bank,  were  encouraging  us  by  con- 
tinually calling  out,  "Oh!  they  are  all  gone 
down;"  "they  are  sinking;"  but  in  spite  of 
all  this  we  landed  safely  on  the  other  shore. 
Brother  Jennings  swam  back  across  the  river ; 
we  were  without  bedding  or  food,  but  with 
our  hearts  full  of  thankfulness  to  our  Heaven- 
ly Father  who  had  cared  for  and  protected 
us  on  our  journey.  Some  of  us  were  a  lit- 
tle fearful  about  remaining  here,  as  just  be- 
fore our  arrival  there  had  been  an  Indian  fight 
at  this  place;  but  we  were  unmolested  and 
in  the  morning,  the  river  having  lowered  to 
its  usual  condition,  all  of  the  company  came 
over,  bringing  everything  safely,  and  we  had 
a  joyful  prayer  circle  again  together. 
All  the  way  from  the  Bear  River,  we  had 


122  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

been  somewhat  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the 
company  on  account  of  scarcity  of  feed.  The 
Indians  often  came  to  our  camp  and  would  sit 
around,  but  we  were  never  molested  by  them 
in  any  way,  although  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  to  see  boards  standing  at  the  head  of 
graves  telling  how  many  were  scalped  alive  by 
Indians;  and  in  one  place  in  a  canyon  there 
was  a  notice  stating  that  eight  white  men 
were  scalped  alive  and  buried  in  one  grave ; 
but  He  who  has  ever  delivered  His  Saints  in  all 
ages,  protected  us  from  harm  and  danger,  and 
now  that  we  were  all  together  it  was  a  cause 
of  great  rejoicing  and  thanksgiving. 

While  on  this  trip  we  had  fresh  butter  every 
day  as  well  as  all  the  milk  we  wanted,  for  we 
milked  the  cows  night  and  morning,  then  after 
using  what  milk  we  needed,  the  rest  was  put 
in  the  churn,  where  by  the  shaking  of  the 
wagon,  we  had  butter  before  noon.  This  we 
all  considered  a  great  blessing. 

We  halted  when  we  reached  the  Sink  of 
the  Humboldt,  to  rest  the  cattle,  for  we  had 
crossed  one  eighteen-mile  desert  and  also  one 
twenty-six-mile,  and  now  had  one  which  was 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  123 

forty  miles  wide.  We  started  in  the  after- 
noon and  traveled  all  night,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing just  at  daybreak  the  sand  was  so  deep  in 
places  that  it  drove  before  the  axle  of  the 
wagon ;  but  we  had  only  ten  miles  of  it  yet, 
and  we  got  through  all  right,  and  we  rested 
again. 

We  traveled  up  the  Carson  River  in  a  south- 
westerly course  until  we  readied  Gold  Can- 
yon, where  we  saw  some  men  washing  gold 
in  tin  pans  at  a  creek.  The  cattle  while  cross- 
ing alkali  flats  on  the  Humboldt  had  drank  the 
alkali  water  and  a  few  head  belonging  to  the 
rest  of  the  company  had  died,  but  according 
to  the  blessing  pronounced  upon  my  family 
(by  Brigham  Young),  our  cattle  had  come 
through  safely. 

Early  in  July  we  arrived  in  the  Washoe  Val- 
ley, in  good  health  and  spirits  but  glad  to  find 
a  resting  place. 

I  bought  a  place  with  a  house  on  it,  of  a 
Mr.  Samuel  Best,  and  here  we  stayed,  camped 
at  the  foot  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas.  The 
house  was  a  rough  affair  made  of  clapboards 


124  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

but  we  stayed  in  it  during  the  day  and  slept 
in  our  wagons  at  night. 

One  day  while  I  was  away  and  no  one  was 
with  the  women  and  children  except  my  fath- 
er (who  was  blind)  and  a  hired  man,  two 
men  came  to  the  camp  and  demanded  sup- 
per. They  were  very  wicked  looking  and  the 
women,  with  a  prayer  in  their  hearts,  set  out 
supper  for  them,  which  they  ate  in  silence  and 
then  said  that  they  wanted  their  breakfast  very 
early  in  the  morning,  and  left  on  their  horses 
in  the  direction  from  which  they  came,  to- 
wards the  creek.  All  supposed  now  that  they 
were  gone  for  the  night  and  the  men  went  to 
bed,  but  two  of  the  women  remained  up  sew- 
ing after  putting  the  rest  of  the  family  to  bed 
in  the  wagons.  Suddenly  the  more  evil-look- 
ing man  who  had  ordered  supper  entered  the 
house  and  in  very  abusive  language  asked 
them  "what  they  were  doing  there  at  that  time 
of  night." 

One  of  them  answered:  "We  are  minding 
our  own  business  and  wish  others  would  do 
the  same." 

He  then  began  to  abuse  Joseph  Smith  and 


CHRISTOPHER    LAYTON.  125 

the  Mormons,  using  very  profane  language. 
Being  unable  to  endure  such  talk  quietly, 
one  of  the  women,  with  a  silent  prayer  in  her 
heart,  asked: 

"Did  Joseph  Smith  or  the  Mormons  ever 
injure  you  in  any  way?" 

"No,"  he  answered  fiercely.  "But  I  would 
like  to  see  them  all  annihilated." 

"That  you  will  never  live  to  see,"  she  calm- 
ly answered;  "and  the  Lord  will  hold  you  re- 
sponsible for  what  you  have  said  here  to- 
night." 

He  sat  silent  for  a  few  minutes,  then  quick- 
ly arose  and  left  them  without  a  word.  After 
thanking  our  Heavenly  Father  for  the  power 
which  had  preserved  them  from  such  a  man, 
they  gathered  all  the  rest  of  the  family  to- 
gether into  one  wagon,  and  one  of  them  kept 
watch  the  rest  of  the  night,  but  the  men  never 
came  back. 

When  I  returned  from  California  I  moved 
our  wagons  and  family  down  the  Carson  Val- 
ley about  two  miles  and  camped  in  the  cot- 
tonwoods  near  the  lake. 

Many  a  night  while  here  in  the  woods  the 


126  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Indians  would  come  and  cook  their  squirrels 
and  other  meat  on  our  stove,  then  after  they 
had  eaten  their  supper,  they  would  lie  down 
and  sleep  all  night,  leaving  in  the  morning  be- 
fore any  of  us  were  up.  They  never  hurt  us 
or  molested  anything,  although  one  of  ,us 
would  sit  up  to  watch  their  actions.  We  had 
put  our  trust  in  our  Heavenly  Father  and  to 
him  we  offered  our  prayers  for  protection  and 
we  were  preserved  by  His  kind  hand. 

During  the  summer  I  made  a  number  of 
trips  with  a  train  of  pack-mules  over  the 
Sierra  Nevada  mountains  to  "Hang  Town/' 
Cal.,  and  back  to  Carson,  thus  keeping  a  store 
supplied  with  dry  goods  and  groceries  of  all 
kinds. 

In  the  fall  I  hauled  lumber  from  a  saw 
mill,  sixteen  miles  away,  and  built  a  good 
two-story  dwelling  house,  into  which  we 
moved  just  before  winter.  We  had  plenty 
of  good  wood  to  burn,  plenty  to  eat,  drink  and 
wear,  so  we  were  very  comfortable  although 
our  neighbors  were  scarce,  the  most  of  the 
people  living  at  the  settlement  two  miles  be- 
low us. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  127 

In  the  following  spring,  1857,  I  cut  down  a 
number  of  large  pine  trees  and  fenced  in 
about  twenty  acres ;  by  laying  the  trees  length- 
wise along  the  ground  and  placing  the  small 
end  of  one  on  the  larger  end  of  another,  a  fine 
fence  was  made  to  keep  out  stock. 

One  day  my  wife  Isabella  was  going  to  the 
home  of  Geo.  Colmer,  and  while  yet  in  the 
woods,  his  dog  flew  at  her  and  tore  several 
holes  in  her  shoulder  and  arm.  My  nephew 
Abe  Layton  immediately  killed  the  dog.  We 
kept  the  wounds  bathed  in  brandy,  and  put 
on  such  poultices  as  we  could  get,  and  the 
sores  healed  rapidly. 

Grass  was  plentiful  all  over  ,the  (valley. 
During  the  summer,  I,  with  the  assistance  of 
Wm.  Jennings  and  Wm.  Nixon,  made  a  wag- 
on road  over  the  mountains  between  Hang 
Town,  Cal.,  and  Carson  Valley  on  the  old  mule 
trail. 

Late  in  the  summer  some  unknown  person 
set  the  grass  on  fire — it  was  a  sight  never  to 
be  forgotten — sometimes  it  looked  as  if  the 
whole  valley  was  in  a  blaze.  For  three  days  all 
the  people  turned  out  and  fought  the  flames. 


128  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

On  August  15,  1857,  a  little  daughter  was 
born  to  my  wife  Caroline  C,  and  we  gave  her 
the  name  of  Selina. 

One  day,  when  it  was  very  hot  and  every 
one  was  busy  and  the  women  had  forgotten 
the  children  for  a  few  minutes,  some  one  dis- 
covered that  three  of  the  little  ones  were  miss- 
ing. They  were  Christopher,  four  years  old, 
Hyrum,  three  years,  and  Polly,  only  fifteen 
months  old.  The  mothers  of  the  little  ones 
were  nearly  frantic  as  there  was  a  large  stream 
of  water  running  near  by,  and  they  called  to 
the  children  but  no  answer  came  back.  All 
stopped  work  and  started  in  search  of  them, 
and  finally  some  one  found  them  under  a  pine 
tree  about  a  mile  up  the  mountain.  They 
were  hurried  back  to  their  anxious  mothers, 
for  they  had  been  gone  about  three  hours; 
and  had  crossed  a  creek,  the  boys  having  car- 
ried the  little  girl  over.  We  all  gave  thanks 
to  the  Lord  for  thus  preserving  our  little  ones. 

In  September  word  came  to  Apostle  Orson 
Hyde  to  preach  reformation,  and  accordingly 
all  the  people  were  rebaptized. 

In   the   fall   of    1857,    William    R.    Smith 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  129 

came  with  a  message  from  the  First  Presi- 
dency of  the  Church,  stating  that  the  mis- 
sionaries were  recalled  to  Utah. 

Our  crops  were  not  all  gathered,  and  some 
of  our  people  had  sold  their  cattle  to  make 
improvements  on  their  homes  and  did  not 
know  how  to  manage  to  obey  this  counsel; 
but  I  arranged  to  help  them  with  wagons 
and  mules  and  provisions. 

Brother  Thompson  had  the  misfortune  to 
get  his  leg  broken  by  a  wagon  running  over 
it,  and  he  said: 

"For  goodness  sake,  Brother  Layton, 
don't  leave  me  here." 

I  assured  him  that  we  would  not  do  that, 
and  then  procured  a  spring  wagon  for  him. 

While  we  were  preparing  for  our  return 
trip,  William  R.  Smith  was  sent  to  buy  fire- 
arms and  ammunition  and  other  supplies  for 
our  journey;  but  for  some  unknown  reason 
he  failed  to  obtain  them,  so  I  went  and  pur- 
chased all  that  we  needed  for  our  trip  to 
Utah. 

We  left  Carson  Valley  on  the  1st  day  of 
10 


130  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

October,  1857,  and  the  weather  was  getting 
quite  cool,  but  we  did  not  mind  that. 

When  we  had  been  traveling  a  few  days 
several  of  the  little  children  were  taken  very 
sick.  One  of  my  little  daughters  was  strick- 
en with  the  complaint.  I  immediately  ad- 
ministered to  her,  and  her  mother  doctored 
her  with  a  little  flour  and  water  to  which 
was  added  a  teaspoonful  of  port  wine  and 
one  of  cinnamon  tea,  and  she  soon  recov- 
ered. Two  children  in  the  company  died 
at  Stony  Point,  being  the  only  deaths  on  the 
trip. 

When  we  reached  Goose  Creek  moun- 
tains a  halt  was  called  and  all  hands  turned 
out  and  felled  the  trees  to  make  a  new  road, 
to  take  the  wagons  up  the  mountains.  While 
we  were  doing  this  the  women  and  chil- 
dren were  getting  up  as  best  they  could. 
Some  of  them  had  a  child  in  one  arm,  using 
the  other  hand  to>  pull  them  up  with,  while 
another  little  one  clung  tightly  to  the  moth- 
er's skirts.  There  was  snow  on  the  ground, 
this  making  it  very  disagreeable  for  the 
climbers ;  but  the  Lord  gave  them  strength 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  131 

and  courage  to  persevere,  so  that  they  land- 
ed on  the  other  side  safely. 

Having  reached  the  summit  we  attached 
ropes  to  the  wagons  and  lowered  them  down 
the  other  side  of  the  mountains.  We  drew 
into  camp  and  lifted  our  voices  in  prayer, 
praise  and  thanksgiving  for  our  safe  deliv- 
erance from  perilous  adventures. 

The  day  before  we  reached  Bear  River, 
October  27,  we  saw  approaching  a  band  of 
cavalry  and  infantry  and  were  much  pleased 
when  they  proved  to  be  some  of  our  own 
people  instead  of  a  portion  of  Johnston's 
army,  as  at  first  we  had  feared.* 

When  we  discovered  the  soldiers  to  be 
our  friends  we  had  a  glad,  happy  time  to- 


*This  company,  under  the  command  of  Chaun- 
cey  W.  West  with  600  men,  had  left  Weber  coun- 
ty, Utah,  on  September  23,  1857,  by  orders  from 
General  Daniel  H.  Wells,  had  marched  through 
Cache,  Round  and  Marsh  valleys  by  forced 
marches,  and  had  succeeded  in  turning  the  flanks 
of  the  enemy,  so  they  could  not  enter  Utah  by  the 
north,  and  camped  at  head  of  Marsh  Valley.  Or- 
ders came  to  return  by  way  of  Malad  Valley.  In 
crossing  the  mountain  into  Malad  Valley  they 
took  7  men  (with  pack  animals)  prisoners,  and  at 
Ogden  sent  them  to  Salt  Lake  City. 


132  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

gether  that  night.  They  had  two  brass 
bands  and  by  taking  turns  we  had  music 
all  night.  At  daybreak  the  company  were 
off  for  Echo  Canyon,  leaving  us  cheered, 
and  with  renewed  strength  we  went  on  our 
way  rejoicing. 

A  stranger  near  here  had  told  us  that  the 
"destroying  angels"  would  be  at  Bear  River 
and  would  not  let  any  one  cross  who  had 
any  trouble  with  their  neighbors  or  >thje 
Church,  but  as  we  were  in  accord  with  the 
authorities  and  each  other,  we  were  not 
alarmed  by  the  report. 

Arriving  at  the  river  the  company  drew 
in  together  for  camping,  but  I,  with  my 
family,  kept  on  up  /the  river  and  never 
stopped  until  all  our  wagons  were  forded 
over,  it  being  near  ten  o'clock  when  we 
found  a  place  to  camp.  We  left  early  in  the 
morning  and  camped  at  night  near  a  house 
where  a  woman  lay  dying.  The  people 
were  very  poor,  and  while  my  women  folks 
did  all  they  could  for  the  sufferer  I  left  sub- 
stantial help  by  adding  somewhat  to  their 
finances. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  133 

We  arrived  in  Kaysville  on  November  1, 
1857,  before  sundown,  having  been  just  a 
month  on  the  return  trip:  the  rest  of  the 
company  did  not  arrive  for  three  days. 
Brother  Thompson  came  to  me  and  said: 
"Brother  Layton,  here  is  your  wagon,  for 
which  I  shall  ever  feel  grateful."  Several 
of  the  company  donated  towards  the  wagon 
and  we  gave  it  to  him  to  keep. 


134  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 


CHAPTER  X. 

ESTABLISHED    IN    KAYSVILLE. 

Numerous  Additions  to  the  Family — Chosen  Bish- 
op, also  Prominent  in  Industrial,  Political,  Mili- 
tary and  Pioneering  Enterprises. 

AFTER  staying  a  few  days  with  William 
B.  Smith  (who  lived  near  the  lake),  I 
bought  a  house  from  David  Day  (the  house 
where  James  Green  now  lives),  moved  my 
family  there  and  unloaded  the  wagons. 

I  had  been  here  but  a  short  time  when  I 
was  called  to  go  to  Salmon  River  to  bring 
in  the  missionaries  before  spring.  This  was 
a  hard  call  to  obey,  for  my  children  were 
all  small  and  our  provisions  for  the  winter 
were  scarce,  and  I  disliked  to  leave  the 
women  alone;  but  committing  them  to  the 
Lord's  care  and  protection,  I  went  where 
duty  called  me. 

On  December  18,  1857,  a  son  was  born  to 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  135 

my  wife,  Isabella  G.,  and  we  named  him 
Jacob  Alonzo. 

While  I  was  away  Bishop  Allen  Taylor 
informed  my  families  that  they  should  get 
all  the  wagons  and  teams  in  readiness  to 
start  on  another  pilgrimage  (they  knew 
not  where),  so  that  when  I  returned  I  im- 
mediately completed  the  preparations  they 
had  commenced. 

The  weather  was  very  cold,  severe  and 
extremely  unpleasant. 

On  the  18th  of  March,  1858,  a  son  was 
born  to  my  wife,  Sarah  M.,  and  we  named 
him  Erastus. 

In  two  weeks  time,  some  of  my  family 
being  ready  to  move,  they  went  as  far  as 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  moved  into  a  vacant 
house  belonging  to  my  wife  Isabella's  fath- 
er, Brother  Richard  Golightly,  and  remained 
in  waiting  for  the  rest  of  the  family.  While 
living  here  the  women  made  yeast  and  trad- 
ed it  for  flour — which  was  an  expensive  ar- 
ticle that  spring — and  in  two  weeks  they 
took  in  over  two  hundred  pounds  of  flour. 
As  soon  as  the  rest  of  the  family  arrived, 


136  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

we  all  started  on  our  journey,  and  traveling 
as  far  as  Pelican  Point  on  Utah  Lake, 
found  it  the  roughest  place  we  had  ever 
been  (from  Kansas  to  California).  I  did 
not?  like  this  place  at  all,  for  the  wind  blew 
a  continual  sand  storm  and  it  was  very 
warm  and  disagreeable,  so  I  drove  on  to  a 
grove  in  American  Fork,  which  was  a  very 
pleasant  place. 

Here  we  stayed  until  we  had  orders  to 
return  to  our  deserted  home.  Some  of  us 
started  the  next  day,  while  the  rest  re- 
mained two  weeks  longer,  but  we  were  all 
safely  home  by  the  8th  of  July.  On  our  exo- 
dus south  we  had  left  the  chickens  and  do- 
mestic animals  on  the  place  and  now  we 
found  them  all  right,  only  a  little  wild.  It 
seemed  as  if  our  Heavenly  Father  had  taken 
care  of  everything  for  us  that  we  might  have 
our  own  on  our  return.  While  we  were 
away  men  had  been  sent  back  twice  to  irri- 
gate the  grain  and  we  found  it  and  our 
potatoes  and  corn  looking  fine,  most  of  it 
ready  to  harvest — thus  our  winter's  pro- 
visions were  waiting  for  the  sickle. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  137 

On  July  11,  1858,  a  son  was  born  to  my 
wife  Sarah  B.,  whom  we  named  Ezra  Wil- 
liam. 

I  bought  a  place  on  Kays  Creek — known 
as  the  "prairie  house" — and  built  four  large 
rooms,  into  which  the  family  moved.  We 
had  a  large  herd  of  sheep  which  occupied  a 
great  deal  of  time  and  gave  employment  to 
the  older  boys.  Brother  Jennings  and  I 
bought  about  200  head  of  freight  oxen  of 
Livingston  and  Kinkead.  They  were  very 
poor  and  rundown.  We  turned  them  out  on 
pasture  and  about  one-third  of  them  died. 
The  others  fattened  up  and  we  traded  them 
to  the  settlers,  for  cattle  or  any  thing  we 
could  get — traded  one  yoke  for  two  fat  hogs ; 
we  also  kept  a  butcher  shop. 

I  was  ordained  a  High  Priest  on  Febru- 
ary 27,  1859. 

In  March,  1859,  my  little  son  Erastus  was 
taken  very  sick,  and  he  died  on  the  20th. 
My  father  was  also  very  sick  at  this  time,  and 
when  we  returned  home  from  Erastus'  funer- 
al on  the  21st  of  March  we  found  father  dead. 


138  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

He  was  buried  the  next  day  in  the  Kaysville 
cemetery. 

The  following  summer  I  bought  a  large 
train  of  mules  of  Beals  and  Guerney,  also 
some  mules  of  a  Mr.  C  Crayton. 

I  loaded  the  freight  teams  with  flour  and 
freighted  to  Helena,  Montana. 

On  June  13  a  son  was  born  to  my  wife 
Caroline,  and  we  gave  him  the  name  of  James 
Albert. 

In  the  spring  of  1860  I  bought  a  good  farm 
from  a  man  named  George  Allen,  two  miles 
down  Kays  Creek  (now  known  as  the  "old 
farm"),  and  removed  part  of  my  family  to  it. 
I  had  very  good  crops,  hired  men  and  cradled 
and  bound  the  grain,  but  as  threshing  ma- 
chines were  very  scarce,  was  not  able  to  have 
it  threshed  until  November. 

On  March  21,  1860,  a  son  was  born  to  my 
wife  Isabella  G.,  and  we  named  him  Rich- 
ard Golightly.  In  May  a  daughter  was  born 
to  my  wife  Sarah  M.,  whom  we  named  Emma 
Jane. 

During  this  year  there  was  considerable 
emigration    through   Utah,    and   as    I    always 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  139 

kept  a  band  of  horses,  I  used  to  trade  my  fat 
horses  for  their  poor  ones  (many  of  which 
after  resting  and  being  on  pasture  awhile, 
proved  to  be  very  good  animals.  This  helped 
the  emigrants  to  get  a  good  team  and  also 
helped  me. 

On  October  17  a  son  was  born  to  my  wife 
Sarah  B.,  and  we  named  him  David  Edwin. 

In  the  spring  of  1861  I  built  two  new  houses 
and  a  granary  on  the  farm.  I  moved  the  re- 
mainder of  my  family  down,  then  sold  the 
place  at  Prairie  House. 

On  February  20,  a  daughter  was  born  to 
my  wife  Caroline  C,  and  we  named  her  Mar- 
tha Alice. 

During  the  summer  I  helped  several  poor 
men  to  get  homes  and  teams  to  work  with, 
knowing  that  the  Lord  always  blesses  those 
who  help  the  poor,  for  I  have  proved  it  many 
a  time. 

In  July  Emma  Jane,  my  little  daughter,  was 
taken  very  ill  and  died  on  the  13th. 

We  had  a  good  crop  of  grain,  so  that  it  re- 
quired ten  men  to  cradle  and  bind  it. 


140  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Utah  in  1862  was  knocking  for  admission 
at  the  portals  of  the  Federal  Union,  having 
completed  the  telegraph  line  in  the  fall  of  1861 . 

On  January  6,  1862,  mass  meetings  were 
held  throughout  the  Territory  to  elect  dele- 
gates to  the  state  convention  to  be  held  at 
Salt  Lake  City  on  the  20th.  I  was  one  of  the 
delegates  selected  from  Davis  county  to  this 
convention.  Despite  every  favorable  indica- 
tion Utah's  efforts  for  statehood  during  1862 
failed  of  success. 

On  January  24,  a  daughter  was  born  to  my 
wife,  Isabella  G.,  and  we  gave  her  the  name 
of  Rachel. 

At  the  April  Conference  I  was  chosen  and 
set  apart  as  Bishop  of  the  Kaysville  ward, 
Davis  county.  This  necessitated  my  living 
in  the  city,  therefore  I  bought  some  lots  in  the 
city  and  built  a  house  on  them. 

On  July  3,  1862,  a  son  was  born  to  my 
wife  Sarah  M.,  and  we  gave  him  the  name  of 
Charles  Martin. 

That  summer  I  finished  the  erection  of  the 
Kaysville  meeting  house. 

Having  two  sons    now    who    were    large 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  141 

enough  to  drive  a  team,  I  kept  the  farm  and 
made  some  improvements  on  it;  I,  with  the 
boys'  help,  planted  an  orchard,  built  a  good 
barn,  did  a  great  deal  of  fencing,  and  built 
several  stables  and  sheds  for  the  animals, 
for  I  always  desired  to  take  good  care  of 
everything  and  not  let  anything  suffer  or  let 
anything  go  to  waste. 

On  August  2,  Rosa  Ann  Hudson  and  I 
were  married  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Daniel  H. 
Wells  officiating. 

On  December  8,  a  son  was  born  to  my 
wife  Caroline  C. ;  we  named  him  Heber. 

On  January  25,  1863,  a  daughter  was  born 
to  my  wife  Sarah  B.,  whom  we  named  Annie 
Barnes. 

That  summer,  besides  making  more  im- 
provements on  the  farm,  I  bought  and  operat- 
ed a  reaper  and  mowing  machine,  which  cost 
$1,000.  This  being  quite  a  novelty  in  Utah,  a 
great  many  people  came  to  see  them  work. 
Wheat  was  $4.00  a  bushel.  I  had  planted  the 
first  alfalfa  seed  (on  the  farm)  that  was  ever 
planted  in  Utah,  and  some  of  it  still  grows 
on  the  old  farm. 


142  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OP 

In  August  President  Brigham  Young  and 
his  counselors  came  and  took  dinner  with  us, 
on  their  way  up  to  Bear  Lake.  Our  little 
son,  who  was  a  namesake  of  Heber  C.  Kim- 
ball, was  very  sick  at  this  time  and  Brother 
Kimball  blessed  him  and  told  his  mother  that 
he  could  not  recover,  which  prophecy  came 
true,  for  on  September  9,  his  spirit  passed  away. 

On  October  21  a  son  was  born  to  my  wife 
Isabella  G.,  and  we  called  him  Samuel. 

On  November  11  a  son  was  born  to  my 
wife,  Rosa  H.,  and  we  named  him  George 
Willard. 

I  gave  a  large  party  on  Christmas  day  to 
all  the  widows,  orphans  and  the  poor  of  Kays- 
ville  over  which  ward  I  was  presiding,  and 
they  seemed  to  appreciate  it  very  much.  We 
had  a  very  enjoyable  time. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1864,  my  wife  Sar- 
ah M.  was  taken  sick  with  a  severe  pain  in 
her  side  and  breast  causing  her  much  distress. 
Everything  that  could  be  done  for  her  relief 
and  comfort  was  done,  but  when  the  disease 
developed,  it  proved  to  be  a  cancer  of  the 
worst  kind.    In  April  she  requested  me  to  take 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  143 

her  to  Kaysville,  which  I  did  and  my  wife 
Caroline  tenderly  cared  for  her. 

On  March  1  I  received  a  certificate  of  life 
membership  in  the  Deseret  Agricultural  and 
Manufacturing  Society  of  Utah,  of  which 
membership  I  was  always  proud. 

In  May  President  Young  sent  me  an  invita- 
tion to  accompany  himself  and  some  of  the 
apostles  on  a  trip  to  Bear  Lake,  which  I  ac- 
cepted. After  my  return,  Sarah  M.  grew 
much  worse. 

On  July  28  a  son  was  born  to  my  wife  Caro- 
line C,  to  whom  we  gave  the  name  of  Joseph. 

Death  came  to  the  relief  of  my  wife  Sarah 
M.  on  October  25,  1864.  This  was  a  great 
blow  to  us  all,  for  in  her  we  lost  our  best 
counselor  and  peacemaker,  a  true  wife  and 
loving  mother. 

How  true  it  is  that 

We  live  in  deeds,  not  years — 
In  thoughts,  not  breaths — 
In  feelings,  not  in  figures 
On  a  dial. 

She  was  true  and  faithful  to  the  principles 


144  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

of  the  everlasting  gospel  to  the  end  of  her 
mortal  life,  and  is  gone  to  await  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  just,  who  have  gone  before  her. 
May  her  children  emulate  her  worth  to  their 
latest  generation!  She  was  a  member  of  our 
Relief  Society,  in  which  capacity  she  was 
greatly  missed.  She  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
Kaysville  cemetery.  The  following  verses  were 
composed  by  my  wife  Sarah  B.  for  the  conso- 
lation of  her  children : 

In  this  life  thy  soul  was  weary, 
But  now  thy  spirit  is  at  rest; 

And  we  hope  with  joy  to  meet  you, 
With  the  assembly  of  the  just. 

To  us  thy  memory  is  ever  dear, 

Thy  kindness  stamped  upon  our  hearts; 

And  we  hope  with  joy  to  meet  you, 
Where  we  never  more  shall  part. 

I  was  very  busy  with  Church  duties,  and 
besides,  the  work  of  being  Bishop  I  had  much 
other  business  to  attend  to;  nevertheless,  with 
the  help  of  the  Lord  and  my  sons,  I  improved 
the  farms  on  which  part  of  the  family  lived. 
In  company  with  Brother  Young  I  made  a  trip 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  145 

to  Bear  Lake  Valley,  Idaho,  where  the  Saints 
were  founding  new  settlements.  During  this 
year  the  Perpetual  Emigration  Fund  com- 
pany sent  170  wagons,  1,717  oxen,  and  277 
men  to  the  Missouri  River  after  the  immi- 
grants who  were  too  poor  to  obtain  their  own 
transportation. 

COPY   OF   A   PATRIARCHAL   BLESSING, 

Given  at  Kaysville,  February  20,  1865,  by 
JohH  Young,  Patriarch,  on  the  head  of  Chris- 
topher Layton,  son  of  Samuel  and  Isabel 
Wheeler  Layton.  Born  at  Thorncut,  Bedford- 
shire, England,  March  8,  1821. 

Brother  Christopher,  I  now  lay  my  hands 
upon  your  head  to  bless  you.  I  confirm  all 
former  blessings  which  you  have  received. 
You  have  embraced  the  gospel  of  salvation  in 
your  youthful  days  with  an  honest  heart  and 
a  full  determination  to  live  the  life  of  the 
righteous  and  be  gathered  up  with  the  Saints ; 
choosing  rather  to  suffer  affliction  with  the 
people  of  the  Lord  than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures 
of  the  world  for  a  season ;  for  you  have  great 
respect  unto  the  recompense  of  your  reward. 
11 


146  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

The  Lord  has  had  His  eye  upon  you  all  the 
days  of  your  life  and  He  has  preserved  you 
while  the  shafts  of  death  have  flown  on  either 
side,  and  I  feel  to  bless  you  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  and  say  you  shall  be  blessed  from  this 
time  henceforth  and  forever,  for  you  desire  to 
do  good,  therefore  good  shall  be  given  you: 
you  desire  to  help  build  up  the  kingdom  on  the 
earth,  therefore  you  shall  be  built  up.  You 
are  a  lawful  heir  to  the  priesthood  which  you 
shall  hold  a  fullness  of  in  the  own  due  time  of 
the  Lord.  You  are  of  the  blood  of  Israel  and 
one  of  those  who  knew  the  joyful  sound  of 
the  fullness  of  the  everlasting  gospel  and  the 
blessings  of  the  fathers,  even  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob,  shall  rest  upon  your  head.  You 
shall  be  a  blessing  to  your  father's  house  and 
to  your  forefathers;  you  shall  be  a  blessing 
to  all  you  are  associated  with.  You  shall  have 
power  to  govern  and  control  yourself  accord- 
ing to  the  holy  order  and  honor  your  holy 
priesthood,  which  you  shall  delight  in  doing. 
You  shall  be  a  blessing  to  your  family  and 
have  power  to  control  all  that  are  under  your 
jurisdiction.  You  shall  have  wives  and  chil- 
dren and  a  numerous  posterity  upon  the  moun- 
tains of  Israel  and  they  shall  be  blessed  in 
their  generation — and  to  your  increase  there 
shall  be  no  end.  You  shall  have  houses  and 
lands,  flocks  and  herds,  and  the  blessings  of 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  147 

the  heavens  shall  be  upon  your  fields  and  your 
gardens  and  upon  your  vineyards,  for  this  is 
the  heritage  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  and  your 
name  shall  be  honorable  in  the  midst  of  the 
elders  of  Israel.  As  you  grow  in  years  you 
shall  grow  in  knowledge,  and  your  mind 
shall  expand  to  comprehend  the  great  things 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  gifts  and  graces 
of  the  Spirit  shall  rest  upon  you  and  you  shall 
be  filled  with  wisdom  and  council  and  decision 
and  be  quick  to  comprehend;  have  power  to 
officiate  in  your  high  and  holy  calling  like  a 
mighty  man  of  God  and  be  a  father  to  the 
fatherless  and  plead  the  widow's  cause.  You 
shall  have  friends  upon  the  right  hand  and  upon 
the  left,  and  hold  important  stations  in  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  and  be  valiant  for  the 
truth.  The  gifts  of  the  gospel  shall  rest  upon 
you  and  be  given  unto  you  and  you  shall  have 
power  with  the  heavens  and  mighty  faith  in 
Jesus  and  have  power  to  administer  in  holy 
things  and  to  the  sick  and  to  the  afflicted  and 
they  shall  be  blest  and  healed  under  your  ad- 
ministration. The  spirit  of  discernment  shall 
rest  upon  you,  you  shall  have  power  to  detect 
every  spirit  and  be  clothed  upon  with  the  pow- 
er of  the  holy  priesthood  and  your  tongue 
shall  be  like  the  pen  of  the  ready  writer  and 
you  may  be  called  by  the  voice  of  the  Spirit 
through  His  servants  to  bear  your  testimony 


148  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

and  your  words  will  be  quick  and  powerful, 
and  the  wicked  shall  tremble  before  you  and 
the  righteous  rejoice  at  the  sound  of  your 
voice.  I  seal  upon  you  the  blessing  of  health 
and  life  and  say  the  destroyer  shall  not  have 
power  over  your  tabernacle  and  no  enemy  shall 
have  power  over  you  and  not  a  hair  of  vour 
head  shall  ever  fall  by  the  hand  of  an  enemy, 
but  you  shall  be  preserved  on  the  earth  as  long 
as  life  is  sweet  unto  you.  You  can  live  to  see 
the  redemption  of  Zion  and  be  gathered  up 
with  the  pure  in  heart.  Your  ears  shall  yet 
hear  the  sound  that  Babylon  is  fallen,  for  you 
shall  see  the  downfall  of  nations  and  empires 
and  the  wonderful  works  of  the  Lord  in  the 
dispensation  in  which  you  live  and  see  Israel 
gathered  and  assist  in  the  mighty  work.  It 
shall  be  your  meat  and  drink  to  do  good  and 
help  build  up  the  kingdom  and  all  the  blessings 
of  the  new  and  everlasting  covenant  I  seal 
upon  your  head,  and  many  shall  rise  up  and 
call  you  blessed  in  consequence  of  your  firm- 
ness and  perseverance  in  well  doing.  You 
shall  have  power  to  secure  to  yourself  through 
your  faithfulness  an  everlasting  inheritance 
in  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth,  when  all 
things  shall  be  celestialized.  You  shall  be 
preserved  on  earth  in  your  outgoings  and  in- 
comings and  what  you  put  your  hands  to,  shall 
prosper. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  149 

All  these  blessings  I  seal  upon  you  because 
you  are  entitled  to  them,  and  I  say,  let  your 
heart  be  comforted  for  your  name  is  written  in 
heaven  and  you  shall  have  power  to  accom- 
plish a  great  and  glorious  work  on  the  earth 
and  lay  a  sure  foundation  for  a  time  to  come, 
which  you  will  by  keeping  the  celestial  law, 
therefore,  celestial  blessings  shall  rest  upon 
your  head.  You  shall  be  a  savior  upon  Mount 
Zion  and  have  power  to  gather  round  you 
your  posterity,  which  shall  be  numerous,  and 
you  shall  be  associated  with  the  great  and  the 
good.  You  shall  ever  have  a  fullness  of  joy 
and  your  pathway  shall  shine  brighter  and 
brighter  unto  the  perfect  day  and  your  feet 
shall  stand  upon  a  sure  foundation.  You  shall 
have  power  to  keep  hold  of  the  iron  rod  and 
no  wicked  men  or  devils  shall  have  dominion 
over  you.  All  these  blessings  are  yours  upon 
condition  of  your  faithfulness  and  perseverance 
and  endurance  to  the  end ;  and  I  seal  upon  you 
a  holy  resurrection  and  say,  you  shall  come 
forth  clothed  upon  with  your  priestly  garments 
and  the  power  of  the  holy  priesthood  to  offici- 
ate in  the  great  work  of  the  restoration  of  your 
forefathers  and  stand  upon  Mount  Zion  and 
have  a  fullness  of  joy  that  you  have  made 
your  escape  from  the  pollutions  of  the  world 
and  that  you  are  numbered  among  the  re- 
deemed.    I  bless  you  and  say  your  heart  shall 


150  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

be  comforted  and  you  shall  have  dreams  and 
visions  and  the  angels  of  mercy  shall  be  with 
you  to  buoy  you  up  and  give  you  power  and 
influence  and  you  shall  be  a  mighty  man  in 
the  Zion  of  God  on  the  earth.  All  these  bless- 
ings I  seal  upon  your  head  and  all  that  your 
heart  desires  in  righteousness  before  your 
Heavenly  Father  shall  rest  upon  you,  and  I  do 
it  according  to  the  holy  order  and  sealing 
power  which  is  committed  to  the  servants  of 
the  Lord  on  the  earth  to  bind  for  heaven,  and 
say  all  is  yours  and  you  are  Christ's,  and  I  say 
unto  you  live  forever  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 
Amen. 

(L.  A.  Littlefield,  reporter.) 

On  January  7,  1865,  Septima  Simms  and  I 
were  married,  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Brother 
Heber  C.  Kimball. 

Attended  annual  Conference  at  Salt  Lake 
City  and  on  the  10th  of  April,  a  special  Confer- 
ence was  held  at  which  we  voted  to  erect  a 
telegraph  line  through  the  settlements.  About 
this  time  there  was  some  trouble  with  the  In- 
dians driving  away  stock,  and  some  of  the 
Saints  were  killed  and  scalped. 

Our  Territory,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the 
states  and  territories,  were  saddened  on  April 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  151 

15  by  the  news  of  the  assassination  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln. 

In  June  a  treaty  was  made  between  the 
superintendent  of  the  Indian  affairs  and  the 
principal  Indian  chiefs,  Brigham  Young  and 
our  leading  men  being  present. 

On  September  4  my  wife  Sarah  B.  gave 
birth  to  a  daughter  whom  we  called  Sarah 
Elizabeth. 

In  August  I  accompanied  President  Brig- 
ham  Young  and  a  party  of  brethren  on  a  mis- 
sionary trip  to  Cache  Valley. 

On  November  7  a  daughter  was  born  to  my 
wife,  Isabella  G.  and  we  gave  her  the  name  of 
Lucy  Isabella. 

President  Young  issued  a  circular  to  the 
Bishops  in  the  Church,  calling  upon  us  to  as- 
sist in  erecting  the  telegraph  line;  and  I  sent 
teams  and  men;  also  furnished  many  of  the 
poles. 

On  December  28  a  little  son  was  born  to  my 
wife,  Rosa  Ann  H.,  to  whom  we  gave  the 
name  of  Albert  Thomas. 

In  January,  1866,  I  bought  a  large  train  of 
freight  wagons  and  mules,  and  a  complete  out- 


152  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

fit  of  cooking  utensils.  This  had  been  a  very 
cold,  long  winter,  but  early  in  the  spring  I 
fitted  up  the  best  of  the  wagons  and  mules, 
and  loaded  them  with  oats  for  United  States 
horses,  gave  them  into  the  charge  of  Henry 
Foxley,  and  sent  them  to  Fort  Bridger.  After 
they  returned  and  were  rested  I  again  loaded 
the  wagons,  this  time  with  flour  for  Montana, 
where  it  was  worth  $16.00  a  hundred.  My  two 
oldest  boys,  Christopher  and  Hyrum,  were 
now  13  and  12  years  old,  and  were  very  man- 
ly and  always  anxious  to  do  any  work  well ;  so 
I  sent  them  on  this  trip  each,  driving  a  six- 
mule  team,  William  Galbraith  being  in  charge 
of  the  train.  In  two  months  they  returned 
safely  to  us  again  and  the  teamsters  gave  a 
good  account  of  them.  Their  mothers  and  I 
felt  very  grateful  to  the  Lord  who  had  brought 
our  boys  back  to  us  well  and  hearty.  I  put 
the  men  to  work,  some  to  hauling  telegraph 
poles  from  the  canyon ;  some  hauling  rock  for 
the  Salt  Lake  Temple. 

On  April  12  my  wife  Caroline  C.  gave  birth 
to  a  daughter,  to  whom  we  gave  the  name  of 
Caroline. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  153 

On  May  19  I  was  appointed  brigade  quarter- 
master of  First  Brigade,  Nauvoo  Legion  (the 
militia  of  Utah  Territory),  which  added  some- 
what to  my  other  duties. 

William  Jennings  and  I  built  a  grist  mill  in 
Kaysville,  costing  about  $30,000,  which  was 
quite  an  undertaking  at  this  time  with  so  many 
other  responsibilities.  But  the  mill  was  a  much 
needed  enterprise  and  proved  to  be  a  benefit  to 
the  farmers,  for  we  bought  grain  for  cash 
(money  was  rather  scarce  in  those  days)  and 
I  always  took  delight  in  helping  an  honest  man 
to  be  independent. 

In  the  fall  I  discharged  some  of  the  men 
who  were  hauling  for  me  and  sold  most  of  the 
mules  and  wagons  to  the  settlers  around  me, 
and  waited  for  the  pay  until  they  could  earn 
it.  In  this  way  I  helped  them  to  get  a  start. 
Of  course,  sometimes  I  was  imposed  upon 
and  lost  by  trusting  them,  but  the  Lord  blessed 
me  because  I  trusted  in  Him.  Many  times 
through  life  I  have  seen  the  fulfillment  of  the 
blessing  which  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  gave 
me  in  Nauvoo. 

I  sent  teams  during  the  winter  to  haul  tith- 


154  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

ing  from  the  northern  settlements  to  Salt  Lake 
City. 

In  August  I  was  elected  as  a  representative 
from  Davis  and  Morgan  counties  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Utah  Territory,  but  it  did  not  con- 
vene until  December  9. 

In  January,  1867,  the  Legislature  petitioned 
Congress  to  repeal  the  anti-polygamy  law  of 
1862,  and  the  General  Assembly  of  Deseret 
prayed  for  admission  into  the  Union  as  a  State. 

By  the  middle  of  January  five  hundred  miles 
of  telegraph  wire  had  been  stretched,  extend- 
ing from  Cache  Valley  in  the  north  to  "Dixie" 
in  the  south.  An  office  had  been  established 
in  Kaysville  in  a  store  room  on  my  lot  oppo- 
site the  meeting  house,  with  Belle  Thompson 
as  operator  (she  made  her  home  at  my  house). 
This  telegraph  had  cost  $150  a  mile. 

I  was  one  of  those  who  undertook  an  ex- 
pensive work  in  building  a  good  wagon  road 
from  the  mouth  of  Weber  Canyon  to  Straw- 
berry Creek.  We  built  a  bridge  at  the  mouth 
and  had  to  blast  through  solid  rock  in  some 
places.  Two  years  later  the  overland  railroad 
passed  over  this  same  road.     It  was  held  as  a 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  155 

toll  road  to  defray  the  expenses.  The  United 
States  mail  also  passed  over  it.  On  March 
1  I  received  four  shares  in  this  Weber  Can- 
yon Road  Company,  representing  $200. 

In  August  I  was  elected  again  as  a  repre- 
sentative to  the  Legislature. 

I  bought  a  mule  train  (of  about  20  wagons 
and  80  mules)  from  William  Crayton  who  had 
just  returned  from  California,  and  loaded  these 
with  flour  for  Fort  Bridger;  then  after  they 
returned  I  sent  them  to  southern  California 
for  a  quartz  mill,  which  I  sent  to  Helena, 
Montana. 

I  attended  the  October  Conference,  which 
was  the  first  meeting  held  in  the  large  Taber- 
nacle, during  which  Conference  Joseph  F. 
Smith  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  caused  by  the 
apostasy  of  Amasa  M.  Lyman. 

At  this  Conference  also  183  missionaries 
were  called  to  go  with  their  families  and 
strengthen  the  settlements  in  southern  Utah. 

This  was  the  origin  of  the  famous  "Muddy 
Mission" — which  was  afterwards  abandoned 
because  it  was  in  Nevada  and  because  of  the 


156  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

unhealthy  climate.  I,  being  much  interested 
in  this  move,  helped  all  I  could  with  outfits, 
etc. ;  furnished  one  family  with  teams,  wagon 
and  all  else  necessary  for  the  trip. 

On  November  2  a  little  son  was  born  to  my 
wife,  Rosa  Ann  H.,  and  we  named  him  Heber 
Chase. 

On  November  21  the  first  number  of  the 
Deseret  Evening  News  was  issued  in  Salt  Lake 
City  with  Geo.  Q.  Cannon  as  editor,  which 
publication  I  have  taken  ever  since. 

On  December  24  I  had  the  brass  band  come 
to  our  house  and  my  wife  Caroline  gave  them 
an  excellent  supper,  and  we  all  had  an  enjoy- 
able time.  xAfter  they  were  gone  and  we  were 
settling  down  for  the  night,  my  wife  Septima 
S.  presented  us  with  a  little  daughter,  whom 
we  named  Amy  Caroline. 

On  January  13,  1868,  the  Utah  Legislature 
convened.  During  its  session  the  word  "Great" 
was  dropped  from  both  Salt  Lake  and  the 
City;  Richland  county  was  changed  to  Rich 
county,  and  Morgan  City  was  incorporated. 
While  in  Salt  Lake  City  I  made  my  home  with 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  157 

Sister  Rachel  Grant  (the  mother  of  Apostle 
Heber  J.  Grant) . 

On  January  21  a  son  was  born  to  my  wife, 
Caroline  C,  to  whom  we  gave  the  name  of 
Frank  Gunnell. 

Attended  annual  Conference  in  Salt  Lake 
City  in  April,  and  found  on  returning  that 
my  wife,  Isabella  G.,  had  given  birth,  on  April 
9,  to  a  daughter.    We  named  her  Jane. 

In  June  I  attended  a  mass  meeting  at  Salt 
Lake,  called  by  President  Young,  in  which  we 
passed  resolutions  to  assist  the  Union  Pacific 
and  Central  Pacific  Railroads  through  the  Ter- 
ritory and  also  to  construct  a  branch  road 
from  Ogden  to  Salt  Lake  City  called  the  Utah 
Central,  of  which  I  was  elected  a  director. 

Attended  the  funeral  of  Heber  C.  Kimball, 
first  counselor  to  Brigham  Young,  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  on  June  24. 

This  year  the  grasshoppers  came  in  droves 
and  ate  up  our  crops,  which  was  quite  discour- 
aging ;  but  we  put  our  trust  in  the  Lord  and  He 
sent  the  sea-gulls  to  rid  us  of  the  pests,  and  we 
were  very  thankful  for  our  deliverance. 

On   October    16   Zion's   Co-operative   Mer- 


158  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

cantile  Institution  commenced  operations  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  with  Brother  Brigham  as  its 
president.  Shortly  afterwards,  "co-op."  stores 
were  opened  in  most  of  the  settlements.  I  had 
one  started  in  Kaysville  as  I  was  one  of  the 
directors. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  159 


CHAPTER  XL 

YEARS  OF  EMPIRE-BUILDING. 

Dry  Farming  on  the  "Ridge" — Railroading  and 
Merchandising — Perilous  Trip  on  Salt  Lake — 
Happy  and  Prosperous  Years. 

IN  the  spring  of  1869  I  took  up  land  north 
of  Kaysville  (known  as  the  range  or  sand 
ridge).  Some  of  my  intimate  friends  asked 
me  if  I  had  gone  crazy  to  imagine  I  could 
farm  that  sandy  desert.  Others  told  me  it  was 
simply  ridiculous,  I  would  only  waste  my  time 
and  lose  my  seed  grain.  To  be  sure,  the  wind 
at  times  was  terrible  and  the  sand  cut  off  and 
destroyed  much  of  the  grain,  but  I  never  be- 
lieved in  giving  up  easily,  and  I  persevered 
until  I  made  a  success  of  it,  and  today  it  blos- 
soms as  the  rose,  and  is  covered  with  many 
comfortable  homes,  surrounded  by  lovely  or- 


160  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

chards,  good  gardens,  fine  pastures,  hay  and 
grain  lands. 

May  17  the  first  ground  was  broken  by  Pres- 
ident Young  for  the  building  of  the  U.  C.  R.  R. 
The  weather  was  bright  and  beautiful,  and  a 
great  many  leading  people  were  present.  After 
speaking  and  other  ceremonies  the  assembly 
dispersed  while  the  band  played  a  martial  air. 

No  large  contracts  were  let  in  the  building 
of  this  line,  which  was  literally  constructed  by 
our  people  who,  for  pay,  took  stock  in  the 
road.  I  was  one  of  the  first  to  take  contracts 
by  which  I  furnished  timbers  for  bridges  and 
trestle  work,  etc. 

On  June  20  I  accompanied  President  Young 
and  other  brethren  to  Bear  Lake  Valley,  where 
the  Saints  were  organized  into  a  stake,  with 
David  P.  Kimball  as  president. 

On  August  25  a  son  was  born  to  my  wife, 
Rosa  Ann  H.,  and  we  gave  him  the  name  of 
Ernest. 

In  the  fall  I  built  a  large  white  house  with 
granite  corners  near  the  grist  mill  in  Kays- 
ville.    I  now  owned  eight  houses  here.     Being 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  161 

desirous  that  my  children  should  attend  a  good 
school,  I  moved  one  of  my  families  to  Salt 
Lake  City  that  they  might  have  educational 
advantages. 

On  January  10,  1870,  the  last  spike  in  the 
Utah  Central  Railroad  was  driven  by  President 
Young  at  the  depot  grounds  in  Salt  Lake  City. 
It  had  been  now  eight  months  since  this  road 
was  commenced.  The  weather  was  cold  and 
frosty,  the  sun  being  behind  a  fog  or  cloud  for 
the  most  of  the  day.  A  little  after  noon  three 
guns  were  fired,  which  was  a  signal  for  the 
raising  of  flags  throughout  the  city  and  the  as- 
sembling of  the  people  to  witness  the  ceremony. 
Before  2  o'clock  the  train  bringing  invited 
guests  from  Ogden  and  the  north  came  up  to 
the  end  of  the  track  amidst  the  cheers  of  the 
assembled  multitude  of  fully  15,000  people. 

Seated  on  an  open  platform  car  overlooking 
the  scene  were  the  president,  general  superin- 
tendent and  other  officers  and  directors,  I 
among  the  latter,  also  representatives  from  the 
Union  and  Central  Pacific,  and  other  prominent 
men.  Just  about  2  p.  m.  the  sun  burst  through 
the  mists  which  had  hitherto  obscured  it  and  it 
12 


162  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

shone  brilliantly  upon  the  driving  of  the  last 
spike  by  President  Young  with  an  elegantly 
chased  steel  mallet  made  for  this  occasion  at 
the  Church  blacksmith  shops;  the  spike  was 
also  of  home-made  iron. 

After  the  ceremony  a  salute  of  37  guns  was 
fired — one  for  each  mile  of  road.  We  had 
music  furnished  by  the  bands  of  Captain  Crox- 
all,  Camp  Douglas  and  Tenth  Ward,  at  inter- 
vals during  the  afternoon;  also  speeches  by 
many  prominent  officials  and  men  of  distinc- 
tion ;  some  addresses  were  omitted  because  of 
the  coldness  of  the  weather.  All  spoke  of  the 
fact  that  this  road  was  the  only  one  built  with- 
out government  subsidies;  for  every  shovelful 
of  dirt  had  been  removed  by  the  working  men 
of  Utah,  and  every  bar  of  iron  of  the*  road  had 
been  placed  in  position  by  their  labor.  We 
thus  owned  our  own  road.  We  were  advised 
not  to  stop  where  we  were  for  as  the  last  two 
rails  stuck  out  a  little,  that  meant  "go  on." 

At  night  the  city  was  brilliantly  illuminated 
and  fireworks  were  in  various  parts  of  the  city ; 
we  had  a  magnificent  display  on  Arsenal  Hill. 
A  grand  ball  and  supper  at  the  Theater,  at- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  163 

tended  by  leading  Church  officials,  prominent 
merchants,  both  Mormon  and  Gentile,  officers 
from  Camp  Douglas,  and  many  citizens,  made 
a  fitting  finale  for  the  day's  memorable  pro- 
ceedings. 

Our  days  of  isolation  were  now  forever  past 
and  with  our  steam  and  electrical  communica- 
tions we  could  stand  face  to  face  with  all  the 
good  and  evil  that  modern  civilization  repre- 
sents. 

On  the  following  night  another  dance  and 
supper  was  given  for  the  invited  guests  in  the 
city,  and  on  the  next  night  we  had  a  grand 
dance  and  excellent  supper  for  those  who  had 
worked  on  the  railroad.  All  of  my  children 
who  were  old  enough  went  to  this  ball  and 
had  a  most  enjoyable  time. 

On  January  13  a  mass  meeting  was  held  in 
Kaysville  (and  also  in  most  of  the  Utah  settle- 
ments) at  which  the  ladies  protested  against 
the  passage  of  the  Cullom  anti-polygamy  bill, 
introduced  in  Congress. 

On  January  19  a  daughter  was  born  to  my 
wife  Septima  S.  and  we  gave  her  the  name 
of  Priscilla  May. 


164  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

On  February  12  an  act  was  passed  by  the 
legislature  by  which  the  women  of  Utah  were 
granted  the  elective  franchise. 

On  May  1  Mary  Jane  Roberts  and  I  were 
married  in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel  H.  Wells. 

Attended  the  funeral  of  Patriarch  John 
Young;  also  the  annual  Conference  held  on 
May  5  to  8. 

This  summer  the  grasshoppers  did  much 
damage  all  through  the  Territory,  and  I  spent 
much  of  my  time  in  looking  after  my  farming 
interests. 

Attended  the  three  days'  discussion  between 
Orson  Pratt  and  Dr.  John  P.  Newman  on  the 
question,  "Does  the  Bible  sanction  Polygamy  ?" 
In  August,  Martin  Harris,  then  aged  88  years, 
came  to  Salt  Lake  City,  and  at  the  Confer- 
ence I  heard  him  bear  a  faithful  testimony  to 
the  truth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  Witnesses. 

On  September  10  our  household  was  visited 
by  the  death  angel  who  took  the  spirit  of  my 
son  Frank  Gunnell,  son  of  my  wife  Caroline. 
We  buried  him  in  Kaysville  cemetery. 

The  surviving  members  of  Zion's  Camp  and 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  165 

the  Mormon  Battalion  had  a  very  enjoyable 
party  at  the  Social  Hall  in  the  city  on  October 
10,  at  which  32  of  Z  ion's  Camp  and  63  of  the 
Battalion  boys  were  present. 

My  sons  were  now  a  great  help  to  me,  for 
they  were  trusty  boys  and  very  obedient.  1  al- 
ways tried  to  be  a  kind  and  affectionate  father 
and  maintain  my  place  as  the  head  of  my 
family  and  they  loved  to  obey  me  and  seemed 
to  regard  my  word  as  law  to  them.  The  Lord 
prospered  me  and  I  always  felt  to  acknowledge 
his  hand  in  all  things.  He  blessed  me  many 
times  with  a  far-seeing  eye  that  I  might  make 
calculations  for  the  maintenance  of  my  wives 
and  children  and  I  always  exhorted  them  to 
thank  God  for  all  His  blessings  to  us. 

The  Utah  Southern  R.  R.  Company  was  or- 
ganized January  17,  1871,  of  which  I  became 
one  of  the  stockholders;  the  ground  was  not 
broken  for  this  road  till  the  1st  of  May,  and 
it  was  completed  in  September. 

In  the  spring  William  Galbraith  and  I 
bought  a  saw  mill  of  Apostle  John  Taylor,  sit- 
uated in  the  east  fork  of  Taylor  Canyon.  In 
less  than  a  year  we  moved  it  to  Arbuckle  Can- 


166  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

yon.  I  bought  out  Galbraith,  took  R.  W.  Bur- 
ton and  William  Beasley  as  partners  and 
moved  it  back  to  the  west  fork  of  Taylor  Can- 
yon. I  kept  about  20  men  at  work,  and  as 
cooks  were  very  unsatisfactory,  my  wife,  Rosa 
A.  H.,  did  our  cooking:  we  sawed  from  7,000 
to  10,000  feet  of  lumber  a  day ;  and  sold  most 
of  it  to  the  railroad  company.  I  ran  this  saw- 
mill until  the  fall  of  1873,  when  I  sold  it  to 
Robert  Burton. 

August  3,  1871,  a  daughter  was  born  to  my 
wife,  Mary  R.,  and  we  gave  her  the  name  of 
Florence ;  and  on  November  1  my  wife  Rosa 
A.  H.  gave  birth  to  a  son,  whom  we  called 
Isaac  Clarence. 

This  year  several  hundred  stands  of  Italian 
bees  were  brought  into  the  Territory,  and  I 
bought  three  stands  from  a  man  named  Put- 
man.  The  stands  had  an  inside  glass  door 
and  it  was  a  great  enjoyment  to  watch  the  lit- 
tle bees  while  at  work. 

On  January  27,  1872,  a  son  was  born  to  my 
wife  Caroline  C,  and  we  gave  him  the  name 
of  Frederick  C. 

The  Utah  Legislature  again  passed  a  reso- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  167 

lution  for  the  election  of  delegates  to  adopt 
a  State  constitution;  and  asked  for  the  admis- 
sion of  Utah  into  the  Union. 

On  March  23  a  little  daughter  came  to  my 
wife,  Septima  S.,  and  we  named  her  Drucilla 
Grace. 

Court  proceedings  were  still  being  continued 
against  all  of  our  leading  men. 

Attended  April  Conference.  In  the  spring 
of  this  year  President  Young  asked  me  to  take 
a  herd  of  Church  sheep,  5,000  in  number, 
which  I  accepted.  I  went  to  Corinne,  Box 
Elder  county,  and  purchased  a  steam  tug-boat 
(then  known  as  the  "Kate  Conner'*),  and  some 
flat-bottomed  scows;  attached  these  to  "Kate 
Conner'"  and  towed  them  to  a  point  near  Black 
Rock,  near  Salt  Lake  City,  shipped  the  sheep 
over  to  Antelope  Island  (also  called  Church 
Island),  then  shipped  about  2,000  of  my  own 
sheep  over,  thus  making  7,000  in  all.  This 
business  I  placed  in  the  hands  of  my  older 
sons  and  some  other  young  men.  In  order  to 
fence  properly,  we  were  obliged  to  make  sev- 
eral trips  to  the  Promontory  for  cedar  posts, 
and  in   some  of  these  trips   we  encountered 


168  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OP 

severe  storms.  On  one  occasion  we  were  re- 
turning from  the  Promontory,  towing  the 
scows  loaded  with  timber  and  posts.  It  was 
oppressively  hot  and  not  a  breeze  stirring, 
when  suddenly  the  wind  commenced  blowing 
and  it  increased  in  violence  until  the  water  was 
lashed  into  white-capped  waves,  the  boat 
rocked  from  side  to  side  and  the  flat  boats 
dragged  and  held  the  steamer  down  till  the 
water  ran  over  the  deck  at  every  plunge. 
Thinking  it  would  be  safer  for  the  boat  if  the 
scows  were  astern,  we  loosened  the  ropes  from 
the  wheelhouses  (the  steamer  was  a  side- 
wheeler),  and  attached  them  to  the  stern. 

During  this  change  while  the  boat  was  reel- 
ing from  the  force  of  the  storm,  a  rope  caught 
my  son  Hyrum's  foot  and  dragged  it  into  the 
paddles  of  the  wheel,  crushing  it  badly,  and 
crippling  him  for  several  months. 

We  now  cast  anchor  but  this  only  caused 
the  water  to  flow  over  the  deck  in  a  worse 
manner,  so  we  cut  the  flat  boats  loose  just  be- 
fore sundown.  The  engineer  at  the  first  ap- 
proach of  the  storm  had  deserted  his  post,  and 
crawling  into  his  bunk,  had  covered  his  head 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  169 

and  lay  there  shivering  from  fear,  helpless  and 
much  to  be  pitied.  With  our  fuel  gone  and 
our  engineer  frightened  nearly  to  death,  our 
boat  pitching  in  all  directions,  we  could  not 
sleep  but  watched  anxiously  all  night.  Some- 
times we  would  sing  a  hymn,  and  often  we 
united  in  prayer,  for  I  felt  that  our  Heavenly 
Father  alone  could  save  us. 

About  daylight  the  anchor-cable  broke  and 
we  were  adrift  and  at  the  mercy  of  the  furi- 
ous waves  and  wind.  I  thought  we  must  get 
up  steam  and  try  to  control  the  boat,  so  I  spoke 
to  the  engineer,  but  with  a  shiver  he  answered : 
"The  fire  is  out — the  wood-boats  are  gone — 
oh — I  can't  start  a  fire — oh — oh."  Leaving 
him  to  his  despair,  we  emptied  our  coal  oil 
on  some  cotton  waste  and  soon  had  a  roaring 
fire,  but  in  order  to  keep  it  going  we  were 
obliged  to  burn  anything  we  could.  We  burned 
barrels,  tables,  chairs,  for  I  thought  I  could  get 
another  boat  but  not  another  set  of  boys  like 
these.  So  with  two  at  the  pilot  wheel  and  tak- 
ing turns  at  engineering,  with  the  help  of  the 
Lord  we  kept  the  boat  right  side  up  and  land- 
ed safely. 


170  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

I  had  charge  of  the  sheep  and  island  for 
five  years  and  we  had  many  exciting  adven- 
tures and  also  some  accidents,  but  no  lives  were 
lost  and  many  are  the  good  pleasant  times  we 
had.  At  shearing-time  our  girls  and  boys, 
with  one  of  my  wives  to  take  charge  of  affairs, 
would  go  over  to  the  island.  Also  at  haying 
time  the  young  folks  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of 
these  trips. 

On  one  occasion  we  were  bringing  a  load 
of  fat  sheep  to  Salt  Lake  for  mutton,  when 
the  boat  was  caught  in  the  floating  ice,  which, 
coming  from  Bear  River  and  Jordan  River, 
had  met  and  formed  a  "jam/'  from  which  we 
were  unable  to  extricate  ourselves  for  48  hours. 
The  pounding  of  the  ice  on  the  sides  of  our 
boat  caused  it  to  leak.  We  all  united  in  call- 
ing upon  the  Lord  in  our  extremity,  and  my 
wives  and  children  who  were  on  shore  and 
could  see  our  peril,  also  prayed  for  help.  A 
wind  arose  which  drove  the  ice  away  so  we 
were  enabled  to  reach  shore,  althpugh  we 
were  obliged  to  go  back  to  the  island  first, 
then  the  next  morning  the  ice  being  gone  we 
easily  crossed  and  were  received  with  much  re- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  171 

joicing  by  those  dear  ones  who  had  been  so 
anxious  for  our  safety. 

A  great  deal  of  my  wool  was  taken  to  the 
Co-op.  Woolen  Factory  at  Brigham  City,  where 
it  was  exchanged  for  flannel  for  dresses,  jeans 
for  boys'  clothes,  linsey  for  sheets,  yarn  for 
stockings,  etc.  This  mill  in  1877  was  burned 
down  but  in  less  than  six  months  was  rebuilt. 

In  the  summer  I  moved  part  of  the  family 
to  the  saw  mill.  Several  of  my  boys  had  now 
reached  manhood,  and  as  they  were  honest 
and  industrious,  I  could  trust  them  with  vari- 
ous branches  of  my  business,  and  they  were 
always  loyal  to  my  will.  I  also  was  blessed 
with  good  sons-in-law  and  they  could  always 
be  depended  on,  which  was  a  great  help  to  me. 

In  June  the  First  Presidency  issued  a  cir- 
cular, calling  on  the  people  to  raise  money  to 
bring  poor  Saints  to  Utah.  The  sum  of 
$14,000  was  raised. 

William  Jennings  and  I  built  a  grist  mill  at 
Kaysville,  and  Thos.  Bayanton  was  our  miller, 
while  my  son  Christopher  was  receiver  and 
bookkeeper. 

In  the  fall  I  resigned  my  position  as  director 


172  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

of  the  railroad,  for  my  duties  were  many  and 
kept  a  great  many  young  men  employed  in 
various  ways,  for  whenever  I  found  a  man  try- 
ing to  help  himself  I  employed  him  at  some- 
thing, but  I  always  despised  an  idler. 

PATRIARCHAL   BLESSING, 

By  C.  W.  Hyde,  Patriarch,  upon  the  head 
of  Christopher,  son  of  Samuel  Lay  ton  and  Isa- 
bella Wheeler,  born  at  Thorncut,  Bedfordshire, 
England,  on  March  8,  182 1. 

Dear  Brother  Layton,  I  place  my  hands 
upon  your  head  and  seal  upon  you  a  father's 
blessing  which  shall  be  sealed  and  recorded  in 
the  book  of  life  for  your  good ;  and  great  shall 
be  thy  wisdom  and  knowledge  before  the  Lord 
thy  God,  and  inasmuch  as  thou  shalt  be  hum- 
ble, the  Lord  shall  give  thee  great  wisdom  that 
no  one  shall  excel  thee ;  thou  shalt  have  coun- 
sel and  wisdom  from  on  high  and  the  spirit 
of  prophecy  shall  be  given  to  comprehend  the 
mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  for  thou  art 
a  descendant  of  Joseph  and  a  lawful  heir  to 
the  fullness  of  the  priesthood,  and  wives,  and 
a  great  kingdom  upon  the  earth;  thou  shalt 
lead  many  to  Zion  with  songs  of  everlasting 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  173 

joy,  and  thine  inheritance  shall  be  beautiful 
and  thou  shalt  converse  with  many  of  the  holy 
prophets  and  help  to  redeem  the  dead  till  thou 
art  satisfied.  It  is  thy  privilege  to  stand  up- 
on the  earth  till  the  coming  of  the  Messiah. 
Thou  shalt  sit  in  council  with  the  general  as- 
sembly of  the  First-born,  and  shalt  partake  of 
all  her  glories  and  reign  as  king  of  kings  and 
be  crowned  with  eternal  lives  to  God  and  the 
Lamb  forever  and  ever.  Amen. 
Kaysville,  November  24.  1872. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1873  President  Brig- 
ham  Young  called  a  number  of  missionaries 
from  different  parts  of  the  Territory  to  plant 
colonies  in  Arizona.  Of  these,  nine  young 
men,  E.  C.  Phillips,  Joseph  Robbins,  Elijah 
Laycock,  John  Seaman,  Joseph  Woolley,  Jo- 
seph Adams,  William  Smith,  William  Dufrin 
and  Ed  Bodley,  were  called  from  Kaysville, 
and  on  March  8  all  met  in  Salt  Lake  City  at 
the  Tabernacle  to  receive  instructions  from  the 
authorities.  Soon  after  they  started  southward 
in  organized  companies. 

They  arrived  at  the  Little  Colorado  River 
May  22,  after  an  arduous  journey;  by  May 
28  the  river  was  dry  and  word  was  sent  to 


174  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

President  Young  of  the  barrenness  of  the 
country,  and  the  many  obstacles  to  be  over- 
come ;  and  on  July  22  they  were  recalled  to 
Utah,  having  gained  nothing  but  experience. 

My  daughters,  as  well  as  my  sons,  were  now 
able  to  help;  one — Eliza  Ann  M. — taught 
school,  and  one — Selina  C. — manipulated  the 
telegraph  instrument  at  Kaysville — also  taught 
the  younger  girls. 

Salt  Lake  City  was  first  lighted  by  gas  dur- 
ing this  summer.       f  "]3 

This  year  I  began  taking  up  land  on  what 
was  known  as  the  "Big  Range"  and  deter- 
mined to  thoroughly  try  "dry-farming"  which 
was  a  new  experience  in  this  place ;  and  many 
people  in  Kaysville  and  Davis  county  today 
thank  me  for  making  a  success  of  it. 

On  October  8,  a  daughter  was  born  to  my 
wife,  Mary  J.  R.,  and  we  named  her  Ella. 

On  November  17  my  daughter  Selina  C. 
was  married  to  Edward  C.  Phillips,  by  Daniel 
H.  Wells,  at  Salt  Lake  City. 

Attended  a  grand  celebration  at  Provo,  No- 
vember 25,  on  the  event  of  the  Utah  Southern 
Railway  being  completed  to  that  city. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  175 

On  December  8  my  daughter,  Eliza  Ann 
M.,  was  married  to  Joseph  G.  Allred ;  also  my 
son,  Hyrum  John,  was  married  to  Mary  L. 
Egbert,  Daniel  H.  Wells  officiating  at  both 
ceremonies.  In  the  evening  we  had  a  nice  re- 
ception at  Brother  Egbert's  residence.  Thus 
the  year  closed  joyously  and  happily. 

During  the  year  1874  the  Utah  Northern 
Railway  was  opened  from  Ogden  to  Franklin, 
Idaho.  There  was  a  general  religious  move- 
ment among  the  Lamanites,  hundreds  of  In- 
dians being  baptized  into  the  Church. 

On  January  18  my  son  Christopher  was  mar- 
ried to  Jane  Bodley,  by  Daniel  H.  Wells,  in 
Salt  Lake  City. 

My  wife  Rosa  Ann  H.  presented  me  with  a 
daughter  on  February  2,  whom  we  named 
Mary  Isabell. 

Senator  Geo.  Q.  Cannon  presented  a  memor- 
ial to  Congress  on  March  2,  asking  for  State- 
hood, but  was  again  denied. 

In  April  1  a  box  containing  valuable  records 
was  deposited  in  the  wall  of  the  St.  George 
Temple  and  work  was  pushed  towards  its  com- 
pletion with  all  possible  speed. 


176  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

On  May  3,  George  D.  Watt  of  Kaysville 
was  excommunicated  from  the  Church  for 
apostasy. 

I  went  down  to  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  6th 
of  May,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  7th  a 
little  son  came  to  my  wife,  Caroline  C.  We 
named  him  Chauncey  West.  Conference  con- 
vened at  10  o'clock  and  continued  till  the  10th. 
The  principal  subject  was  the  "United  Order" 
which  was  organized  with  Brigham  Young 
as  president. 

On  May  12  my  wife,  Septima  S.,  gave  birth 
to  a  little  son,  whom  we  called  Oscar  George. 

This  summer  was  remarkable  for  much  light- 
ning, thunder  and  rain  storms. 

Pioneer  Day  was  celebrated  by  a  grand  ju- 
venile jubilee  in  the  large  Tabernacle  at  Salt 
Lake  City,  at  which  time  4,000  Sunday  School 
children  did  the  singing. 

Besides  my  duties  as  Bishop  I  farmed  over 
200  acres,  ran  the  saw-mill  and  grist-mill  and 
had  the  care  of  from  7,000  to  8,000  sheep. 
This  kept  my  sons  and  sons-in-law  employed: 
neither  were  my  daughters  idle,  for  some  of 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  177 

them  taught  school,  others  were  in  the  tele- 
graph offices  and  all  of  them  did  their  own 
dressmaking.  We  all  worked  together  in  unity 
as  one  family,  and  always  stood  by  each  other 
under  all  circumstances.  If  one  had  a  trial  or 
disappointment  we  all  sympathized,  or  if  one 
had  a  blessing  or  pleasure,  we  all  rejoiced  to- 
gether. I  love  now  to  recall  the  many  social 
chats  we  often  had,  when  I  would  tell  them 
of  my  early  life,  how  I  had  managed  to  get 
along;  advise  them  how  they  could  help  them- 
selves through  life;  how  ready  they  all  were 
to  accept  my  counsel  and  act  upon  it.  These 
were  very  happy  years  although  the  responsi- 
bilities of  my  position,  as  a  father  and  a  Bish- 
op, were  great  and  manifold.  I  feel  to  praise 
the  Lord  that  He  has  allowed  me  to  see  my 
children  grow  up  honest,  straightforward  and 
industrious ;  willing  to  make  sacrifices  if  need 
be  for  their  religion's  sake. 

In  October  the  Agricultural  and  Manufac- 
turing Association  held  a  fair  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  at  which  I  entered  a  number  of  sheep, 
cows,  calves,  and  a  Durham  bull.  I  received 
two  diplomas  for  finest  sheep ;  also  diploma  for 
is 


178  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Durham  cow — Annie — and  her  calf.  The 
award  for  best  Durham  bull  was  a  silver  cup, 
gold  lined,  which  was  given  me.  I  gave  my 
wife  Rosa  H.  my  diploma  for  the  cow  and 
calf,  my  diploma  for  best  bucks  to  my  daugh- 
ter Eliza  A.  M.,  and  my  diploma  for  best  ewes 
to  my  daughter  Selina  C 

On  November  5  we  had  the  pleasure  of  wel- 
coming my  brother,  John  Layton,  and  his 
daughter,  Mary  Ann,  to  our  home.  They  had 
left  England  with  155  other  Saints  under  the 
direction  of  William  N.  Fife,  on  the  steamship 
"Wyoming,"  on  September  14. 

March  25,  1875,  the  founder  of  Kaysville, 
William  Kay,  died  at  Ogden,  and  a  large 
crowd  of  us  went  up  to  the  funeral. 

In  April  the  trial  of  Geo.  Reynolds  for  polyg- 
amy was  commenced.  This  was  a  test  case  and 
was  watched  closely  by  all.  When  he  was  sen- 
tenced to  imprisonment  the  case  was  appealed 
and  he  was  granted  bail  for  $10,000. 

This  spring  I  bought  a  flour  mill  at  Payson, 
Utah  county.  I  obtained  a  good  miller  and 
sent  my  son  William  to  take  charge  of  it,  but 
it  was  so  far  away  from  home  that  I  did  not 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  179 

keep  it  very  long,  but  sold  it  for  a  good  price 
in  about  a  year. 

Having  a  large  family  of  my  own  to  provide 
for,  and  keeping  so  many  men  employed, 
whose  families  needed  supplies,  I  thought  it 
better  to  buy  goods  by  wholesale,  so  I  built  a 
large  mercantile  house  and  ran  that  business 
for  a  number  of  years. 

On  June  10,  the  first  Young  Men's  Mutual 
Improvement  Association  was  organized  and 
the  work  was  made  universal  throughout  all 
the  settlements  of  Saints. 

On  June  12,  my  wife  Rosa  Ann  H.  gave 
birth  to  a  daughter,  and  we  named  her  Jean- 
etta. 

On  July  10  Martin  Harris,  one  of  the  Three 
Witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  died  at 
Clarkston,  Cache  county,  being  92  years  old. 

On  July  17  President  Brigham  Young,  his 
counselors  and  many  others  renewed  their  cov- 
enants by  baptism,  and  this  example  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  Saints  generally.  Every  one  of 
my  family  over  eight  years  old  renewed  their 
covenants  in  this  way. 

In  September  I  attended  the  funeral,  at  Salt 


180  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Lake  City,  of  George  A.  Smith,  President 
Young's  counselor. 

I  moved  the  Church  sheep  from  the  island 
into  Southern  Utah  for  the  winter  to  a  place 
called  Cove  Fort. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  of  the 
Zion's  Co-operative  Mercantile  Institution,  held 
at  Salt  Lake  City  on  October  5,  I  was  duly 
elected  to  the  office  of  director  of  said  insti- 
tution, which  position  I  held  for  a  year. 

At  the  October  conference,  the  Tabernacle 
was  dedicated,  and  a  great  number  of  mis- 
sionaries were  called. 

In  December  the  ladies  of  Utah  sent  a  peti- 
tion to  Congress  with  23,626  signatures,  ask- 
ing for  Statehood  and  the  repeal  of  the  anti- 
polygamy  laws. 

On  December  28  a  son  was  born  to  my  wife, 
Mary  J.  R.,  and  we  named  him  Levi  Brigham. 

The  year  1876  was  noted  for  the  settlements 
of  Saints  in  lower  Utah,  Arizona  and  Mexico. 
In  February  a  number  of  missionaries  were 
called  to  go  to  Arizona,  my  son  Hyrum  among 
them.     They  traveled  by  teams  and  on  March 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  181 

21  arrived  at  Little  Colorado,  and  founded  col- 
onies. 

In  April  the  new  Z.  C.  M.  I.  building  on 
Main  St.,  Salt  Lake  City,  was  opened  for  busi- 
ness. 

I  attended  the  annual  Conference  from  April 
6  to  April  10.* 

On  May  16,  1876,  the  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A.  was 
organized  at  Kaysville  with  Ada  Williams  as 
president,  Eliza  A.  Allred ;  first  counselor,  and 
Helen    Hyde,    second   counselor,;   Mary   Ann 


*"A  disaster  of  an  exceptional  nature  occurred 
at  Salt  Lake  City  the1  day  before  the  opening  of 
this  conference.  It  was  the  explosion  of  40  tons 
of  blasting  and  gunpowder,  stored  in  four  stone 
magazines  located  on  Arsenal  Hill.  About  5 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  every  one  was  startled 
by  two  terrific  reports,  almost  simultaneously; 
after  the  lapse  of  a  few  seconds,  two  other  con- 
vulsions  followed  equally  deafening.  In  a  mo- 
ment missiles  whistled  and  tore  through  the  air 
over  almost  the  entire  city,  while  houses  tottered 
and  trembled,  roofs,  walls  and  ceilings  were  rent, 
windows  smashed  and  hundreds  of  persons  pros- 
trated on  the  ground.  Dense  volumes  of  smoke 
hovered  over  the  spot,  thus  indicating  what  had 
happened.  The  explosion  was  distinctly  heard 
and  felt  at  Farmington,  15  miles  north,  and  even 
caused  the  vibration  of  buildings  at  Kaysville, 
5  miles  further." — Whitney's  History  of  Utah. 


182  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Layton,  secretary,  and  Selina  Layton  Phillips, 
assistant  secretary. 

The  sheep  which  I  had  taken  into  Southern 
Utah  had  fared  badly  during  the  winter,  and  I 
returned  them  back  to  the  Church ;  in  order  to 
return  the  proper  number  I  was  obliged  to 
make  up  losses  from  my  own  herd  and  conse- 
quently I  had  very  few  left.  This  was  quite  a 
loss  to  me,  but  I  would  not  let  the  Church 
property  suffer. 

In  June  the  case  of  George  Reynolds  was 
again  argued  on  appeal  before  the  supreme 
court  of  the  Territory,  and  in  July  the  case  was 
again  appealed  to  the  supreme  court  of  the 
United  States. 

At  the  Conference  in  October,  John  W. 
Young,  son  of  the  President,  was  sustained  as 
first  counselor,  in  place  of  George  A.  Smith. 

On  October  7  my  wife  Septima  S.  gave  birth 
to  a  son,  whom  we  named  Harry  Wilford. 

The  Brigham  Young  Academy  was  founded 
on  October  16  at  Provo. 

On  October  26  a  son  was  born  to  my  wife, 
Caroline  C,  and  we  gave  him  the  name  of 
Horace. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  183 

This  fall  I  bought  a  thorough  bred  Norman 
stallion  and  ten  mares  from  Logan  and  Wil- 
son of  Missouri,  and  raised  some  of  the  finest 
stock  in  the  Territory.  I  also  oversaw  the 
planting  and  harvesting  of  the  largest  amount 
of  small  grain  ever  raised  in  Utah.  I  was 
one  of  the  first  to  cut  grain  with  a  header. 
This  grain  was  raised  on  the  Sand  Ridge  by 
what  was  known  as  dry  farming. 

I  kept  on  buying  more  arid  land  until  my 
sons  and  I  owned  about  a  thousand  acres.  We 
also  owned  three  headers  and  a  thresher  and 
other  machinery  for  this  work. 

I  distributed  dry  farm  grain  throughout  the 
county  and  assisted  men  to  take  up  this  dry 
land  and  to  raise  grain,  for  I  told  them  that 
"where  there  is  good  sagebrush,  grain  will 
grow." 

On  March  4,  1877,  my  daughter,  Martha 
Alice  C,  was  married  to  James  T.  Walker,  at 
Salt  Lake  City,  Daniel  H.  Wells  officiating. 

In  the  later  part  of  March,  Apostle  Joseph  F. 
Smith  and  wife,  my  wife  Mary  J.  R.  and  I,  in 
company  with  Presidents  Young  and  Wells, 
some  of  the  apostles  and  leading  elders,  started 


184  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

by  team  for  St.  George  to  attend  Conference 
and  dedicate  the  Temple  at  that  place. 

Conference  convened  on  April  6  continuing 
three  days.  President  Young  addressed  the 
Conference  at  five  of  the  six  meetings,  dilating 
upon  the  duties  of  all  officers,  urging  them  to 
faithfully  perform  the  sacred  tasks  allotted 
them.  The  second  day  of  conference  Presi- 
dent Young  took  the  initial  step  of  the  impor- 
tant work  of  more  thoroughly  organizing  the 
stakes  of  Zion,  first  setting  in  order  the  St. 
George  stake,  and  after  that  the  others 
throughout  the  Church.  A  number  of  mis- 
sionaries were  also  called.  On  the  return  trip 
Brother  Brigham  and  his  counselors  stopped 
at  Manti,  Sanpete  Co.,  and  dedicated  a  Tem- 
ple site,  Brother  Young  offering  the  prayer 
and  breaking  the  ground  for  the  foundation. 
Through  Beaver  our  party  was  accompanied 
by  a  guard  of  about  twenty-five  young  men, 
who  deemed  this  precaution  necessary  because 
of  threats  said  to  have  been  made  against  the 
President's  life  by  some  of  the  relatives  or 
sympathizers  of  John  D.  Lee,  who  had  recent- 
ly been  executed.    Brother  Young  gave  us  in- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  185 

structions  in  our  duty  of  training  and  educat- 
ing our  children  to  lives  of  purity  and  useful- 
ness, and  urged  co-operative  action  in  all  our 
temporal  interests. 

On  May  18  the  ground  for  the  Logan  Tem- 
ple was  dedicated,  Apostle  Orson  Pratt  offer- 
ing the  prayer. 

About  this  time  a  survey  was  made  for  a 
canal,  which  was  called  "Weber  and  Davis 
Co.'s  Canal."  I  was  one  of  the  stockholders, 
and  put  a  number  of  men  and  teams  to  work 
on  it.  I  sold  some  of  the  teams  and  let  the  men 
work  it  out  in  contracts  on  the  canal,  taking 
stock,  thus  their  paying  terms  were  easy  and 
I  became  a  larger  stockholder. 


186  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LAST  YEARS  IN   KAYSVILLE. 

In  Stake  Presidency — Death  of  Brigham  Young — 
Family  Marriages,  Births  and  Deaths — Forced 
into  Hiding  to  Escape  Persecution — Called  to 
Arizona. 

AT  a  special  conference  at  Farmington,  on 
June  17,  1877,  a  stake  was  organized  in 
Davis  county,  with  Wm.  R.  Smith,  of  Center- 
ville,  as  president,  and  myself  of  Kaysville, 
and  Anson  Call  of  Bountiful  as  his  counselors. 
As  I  was  now  released  from  my  office  of  Bish- 
op, Brother  Peter  Barton  was  chosen  in  my 
place. 

Zion  was  extending  its  borders  in  all  di- 
rections, settlements  were  growing  larger,  and 
many  new  wards  were  being  formed,  among 
which  was  South  Hooper,  (which  had  been  a 
part  of  Kaysville)  with  Henry  B.  Gwilliams 
as  Bishop. 

In  July  Brother  Brigham  Young  deeded 
9642  acres  of  land  in  Cache  Valley  to  the  Brig- 
ham Young  Academy  at  Logan. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  187 

On  August  23  our  President  was  taken  sud- 
denly sick  with  cholera  morbus,  and  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  August  29  the  im- 
mortal spirit  of  Brother  Brigham  passed  from 
the  earth.  A  profound  sorrow  rested  like  a 
pall  upon  the  Saints  all  over  the  world  when 
it  became  known  that  our  loved  and  honored 
leader  was  no  more;  as  Israel  mourned  for 
Moses,  so  we  mourned  in  heartfelt  sorrow  for 
Brother  Young.* 


*"The  coffin  containing  his  body  was  encased  in 
a  metallic  covering  in  which  was  inserted  a  plate 
glass  of  sufficient  size  to  admit  of  a  view  of  the 
departed.  It  was  tastefully  draped  with  white  and 
wreathed  with  flowers.  At  10:30  a.  m.  the  gates 
of  the  Temple  Block  were  thrown  open,  and  the 
crowds  of  anxious  people  who  had  gathered,  gained 
ingress  to  the  Tabernacle.  For  the  next  twenty-five 
hours — the  building  being  kept  open  all  night — a  con- 
tinuous stream  of  living  humanity  passed  through, 
nearly  twenty-five  thousand  people  taking  a  farewell 
look  at  the  face  of  the  dead.  On  the  Sabbath,  Sep- 
tember 2,  the  family  of  the  deceased,  his  counselors, 
the  apostles  and  other  officers  of  the  Priesthood,  with 
the  general  public,  listened  to  the  speakers  who  ad- 
dressed them,  expressing  the  sentiments  of  sorrow 
that  pervaded  the  hearts  of  the  Saints,  yet  exhib- 
ited a  calm  resignation  to  the  Divine  will.  The  build- 
ing was  filled,  all  available  standing  room  in  aisles 
and  doorways  being  taken  up.  The  procession  moved 
to  the  private  cemetery,  where  the  body  was  placed 


188  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

On  the  4th  of  September  the  apostles  pub- 
licly assumed  their  position  as  head  of  the 
Church,  the  Saints  returned  to  their  duties  and 
everything  was  again  in  working  order. 

About  this  time  I  took  a  trip  across  the 
country  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  I  purchased 
a  carload  of  large  mules,  which  I  brought  back 
to  Utah,  and  used  to  great  advantage  on  my 
dry  farm  lands. 

In  November  a  company  of  Saints  from 
Utah  arrived  on  the  San  Pedro  river,  in  Ari- 
zona and  founded  the  settlement  of  St.  David. 

My  wife,  Isabella  G.,  who  had  been  sick 
for  a  long  time,  left  us  to  mourn  her  loss,  on 
December  15.  She  had  always  been  greatly 
loved  in  the  family  and  was  a  general  favorite, 
and  her  children — three  girls  and  four  boys — 
were  welcomed  and  well  cared  for  by  my  oth- 
er wives.     Her  disease  was  dropsy.     She  had 


in  the  vault  prepared  for  it.  The  grave  was  dedi- 
cated by  Apostle  Wilford  Woodruff.  Among  the 
mighty  ones  of  earth  shall  be  the  name  of  him  of 
whom  it  has  been  written : 

"He  loved  his  people:  their  high  destiny 
Will  be  a  monument  to  Brigham  Young." 

—Whitney's  Hist,  of  Utah. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  189 

also  been  a  Relief  Society  teacher  for  several 
years. 

On  December  28  a  little  daughter  came  to 
my  wife,  Mary  J.  R.,  and  we  called  her  Har- 
riet Ann. 

On  January  10,  1878,  my  son,  Ezra  William, 
was  married  to  Mary  Ellen  Colmer  in  Salt 
Lake  City. 

Attended  Conference  at  Salt  Lake  City  from 
April  6th  to  the  8th. 

This  summer  I  was  busy  with  my  mercantile 
business,  milling  work  and  farming. 

On  August  15,  1878,  I  was  married  to  Eliza- 
beth Williams  in  the  Endowment  House  at 
Salt  Lake  City,  Joseph  F.  Smith  officiating. 

In  the  fall  I  bought  a  band  of  horses  of 
William  H.  Hooper,  giving  $10,000  for  them. 
I  sold  half  of  them — 320  head — afterwards  to 
William  R.  Smith,  also  80  head  to  William 
Stokes,  besides  many  teams  to  different  men. 

On  December  12  my  daughter  Mary  Ann 
was  married  to  George  Swan,  Jr.,  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  by  Daniel  H.  Wells ;  and  on  the  same  day 
my  wife  Rosa  Ann  presented  me  with  a  daugh- 
ter, whom  we  named  Rozina. 


190  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

On  January  6,  1879,  the  supreme  court  of 
the  United  States  unanimously  affirmed  the 
constitutionality  of  the  anti-bigamy  law  of 
1862,  and  confirmed  the  sentence  of  the  lower 
courts  upon  George  Reynolds. 

My  son,  John  H.,  was  married  on  January 
23,  to  Hannah  Phillips  at  Salt  Lake  City  by 
Daniel  H.  Wells. 

On  February  20  I  attended  the  trial  of  Rob- 
ert T.  Burton  on  a  charge  of  murder  com- 
mitted during  the  Morrisite  difficulty  of  1862. 
A  verdict  of  not  guilty  was  rendered  on 
March  7. 

A  little  son  came  to  my  wife,  Septima  S.,  on 
March  21,  and  we  named  him  Franklin  Simms. 

This  spring  I  built  a  large  frame  house  on 
the  Sand  Ridge,  which  we  called  the  Summit 
farm  and  dug  the  first  well,  going  one  hun- 
dred feet,  and  after  digging  several  we  got  a 
good  one  with  plenty  of  water.  Before  this 
we  had  to  haul  the  water  in  a  iron  tank  hold- 
ing 560  gallons. 

At  the  annual  Conference  this  year  the  main 
business  was  the  calling  of  a  number  of  elders 
for    foreign    missions,    and    Brother    Moses 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  191 

Thatcher  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the 
Twelve  Apostles,  caused  by  the  death  of  Orson 
Hyde. 

On  April  24  the  first  Utah  wheat  was  shipped 
by  ocean  to  Liverpool,  England,  from  San 
Francisco,  in  the  sailing  vessel  "Ivy,"  by  S. 
W.  Sears,  and  I  often  wondered  how  many  of 
my  old  friends  and  relatives  ate  bread  made 
from  our  wheat. 

Emma  Smith,  formerly  wife  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  died  at  ;her  home  in  Nauvoo, 
Illinois,  April  30. 

On  the  6th  of  May  there  was  a  grand  dem- 
onstration in  honor  of  Daniel  H.  Wells,  who 
had  been  released  from  the  territorial  peniten- 
tiary, where  he  had  been  sent  three  days  be- 
fore by  Judge  Emerson  for  alleged  contempt  of 
court,  because  he  had  refused  to  describe  the 
endowment  clothing. 

On  August  4  my  wife  Elizabeth  W.  gave 
birth  to  a  little  son,  whom  we  called  Lawrence, 
but  after  a  few  weeks  he  was  recalled  to  his 
heavenly  home,  and  on  August  28  his  spirit 
fled  from  us. 

I  was  made  president  of  the  Farmer's  Union, 


192  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

which  institution  I  founded  in  Layton,  and  held 
that  position  a  number  of  years. 

On  September  26,  my  wife  Caroline  C.  gave 
birth  to  a  little  son,  whom  she  called  Ben- 
jamin; and  on  September  28  we  were  called  to 
mourn  the  death  of  baby  Franklin  S.,  the  son 
,  of  my  wife  Septima. 

About  the  first  of  November  I  made  a  trip 
to  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  accompanied  by  my 
wife  Lizzie. 

During  the  next  two  or  three  years — 1880- 
1883 — although  I  had  broken  no  law  of  God  or 
man,  it  became  necessary  for  my  personal  safe- 
ty that  I  should  be  in  hiding  from  those  who 
were  so  strenuously  making  arrests  under  the 
Edmunds-Tucker  law. 

Finally  my  wives  and  children  agreed  that, 
although  they  disliked  very  much  to  be  with- 
out my  presence,  yet  they  would  rather  know 
that  I  was  at  liberty  than  to  have  me  dodging 
the  hounds  of  the  law,  and  under  these  condi- 
tions, I  accepted  a  call  to  preside  over,  and 
make  a  home  for,  Saints  in  Southern  Arizona. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  193 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

PRESIDING    IN    ARIZONA. 

Fifteen  Years  of  Great  Activity  and  Success — 
The  Enemy  Also  Busy — Many  New  Enter- 
prises Established — Leader,  Adviser  and 
Father  to  the  Colonists. 

IN  February,  1883,  I  was  set  apart  in  Salt 
Lake  City  as  President  of  the  St.  Joseph 
stake  in  Arizona,  and  I  immediately  began  to 
make  preparations  to  leave  for  that  territory. 
I  chartered  two  cars  and  loaded  them  with 
horses,  mules,  furniture,  farm  implements, 
seeds,  alfalfa,  oats,  wheat  and  flour  enough  to 
last  a  year.  By  the  15th  we  were  ready  to 
start. 

Our  party  consisted  of  my  wife  Lizzie  and 
two  children,  her  sister  Fannie  and  brother 
Henry;  my  sons  Richard,  Joseph  and  Wil- 
liam; my  nephew,  Charles  Layton,  and  wife; 

14 


194  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

also  Dave  Gaily,  Geo.  Steed  and  Thomas 
White. 

Arriving  at  St.  David  on  Saturday,  Feb. 
24,  we  went  directly  to  David  P.  Kimball's 
house,  and  on  Sunday,  the  25th,  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Saints  in  St.  David,  they  sustained 
me  as  president  of  the  stake  with  David  P. 
Kimball  as  first  and  James  H.  Martineau  as 
second  counselors. 

On  Feb.  28  the  boys  of  our  party  came 
in  with  the  stock,  furniture,  etc.,  which  had 
traveled  slower  than  we. 

After  staying  a  few  days  at  Brother  Kim- 
ball's I  moved  the  family  into  the  Campbell 
mill  building  where  we  remained  about  three 
weeks.  Then  I  moved  to  a  Mexican  grant 
where  we  lived  in  tents  and  had  our  cook- 
stove  under  a  tree;  but  I  did  not  stay  here 
very  long  as  we  were  obliged  to  haul  water 
over  three  miles. 

The  first  week  in  March  a  party  of  nine, 
with  a  four-horse  team  and  a  single  team, 
started  on  a  general  exploration  trip  to  see  the 
country.  They  went  to  Tombstone  the  first 
night :  then  through  the  Sulphur  Springs  Val- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  195 

ley,  which  they  thought  was  the  finest  stock 
range  they  had  ever  seen  (except  Cache  Val- 
ley, Utah) ;  then  through  the  Gila  Valley, 
which  place  I  particularly  desired  them  to 
visit.  Their  report  of  this  section  was  very 
favorable — mare  settlers  than  when  I  was 
there.    They  were  gone  about  three  weeks. 

On  March  23  my  daughters  Eliza  A.  Allred 
and  Drucilla  Grace  Layton  came  from  Utah 
and  my  son-in-law  Joseph  G.  Allred  arrived 
on  the  25th  with  another  car,  containing  pota- 
toes, barbwire,  iron  posts,  some  machinery, 
also  chickens,  which  we  turned  loose,  and  of 
course  they  soon  found  their  own  roosts. 

I  took  my  wife  and  daughters  three  miles 
down  the  San  Pedro  River  to  see  a  place 
called  the  Merrimont  ranch  and  as  there  were 
about  thirty-seven  springs  on  the  place  every- 
thing looked  green  and  bright,  although  there 
was  only  one  tree  (a  juniper)  in  the  vicinity. 
The  women  were  much  pleased  with  the  local- 
ity and  exclaimed  joyously,  "This  is  the  pret- 
tiest place  we  have  seen  in  the  country."  I 
bought  this  ranch,  but  the  wind  blew  so  hard 
every  day  we  could  not  live  in  tents,  there- 


196  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

fore  I  went  to  work  building  a  house  and  also 
bought  the  Campbell  mill  house  and  had  it 
moved  on  to  the  ranch.  My  women  folks  be- 
came quite  lonesome,  discouraged  and  home- 
sick at  times,  although  they  tried  to  be  cheer- 
ful, and  I  consoled  them  by  telling  of  our 
blessings  and  showing  them  that  our  heavenly 
Father  was  very  kind  and  merciful  to  us  be- 
cause things  might  have  been  a  great  deal 
worse. 

I,  with  the  boys'  help,  fenced  in  320  acres 
and  made  a  canal  for  two  miles.  One  after- 
noon we  missed  the  horses  and  we  all  started 
out  in  different  directions  to  hunt  them,  but 
not  finding  them,  came  back  at  night,  except 
Richard  and  Joseph  Allred,  who  had  followed 
tracks  leading  toward  Tucson.  About  ten 
o'clock  that  night  they  stopped  at  Pantana 
Seneca;  in  the  morning  they  met  a  man  who 
had  seen  the  horses  and  after  some  conversa- 
tion said  he  would  get  them,  so  the  boys 
came  back  home.  The  next  day  the  man 
brought  five  horses — one  out  of  each  team — 
and  received  his  reward.     After  a  few  days 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  197 

we  found  one  at  Benson,  but  it  was  a  year 
before  we  found  all  of  them. 

We  plowed  100  acres,  put  in  alfalfa,  wheat 
and  oats,  and  had  just  finished  when  rains 
commenced.  The  grain  started  fine  and  we 
were  much  rejoiced ;  then  rain  ceased  and 
consequently  the  crops  burned  up. 

I  attended  Conference  at  Salt  Lake  City  on 
April  6,  and  my  son  William's  wife  and  two 
children  came  with  me  when  I  returned  to 
Arizona. 

In  May  I  went  over  to  the  Gila  River  and 
held  a  two  days'  meeting  at  Pima;  on  the 
13th  organized  the  Saints  into  four  wards, 
namely:  Pima,  with  Joseph  K.  Rogers,  Bish- 
op; Thatcher,  John  M.  Moody,  Bishop;  Gra- 
ham, Jorgen  Jorgenson,  Bishop;  Curtis  (now 
Eden),  Moses  Curtis,  Bishop. 

On  June  27th  my  son  Wm.  Layton  was 
chosen  first  counselor  to  Bishop  Wm.  D. 
Johnson  of  St.  David  ward. 

Conference  was  held  at  St.  David  on  June 
2  and  3,  at  which  the  Relief  Society  was  or- 
ganized with  Sister  Wilmuth  East  as  presi- 


198  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

dent,  Sister  Cyrena  Merrill  as  first  and  Sister 
Mary  Ransom  as  second  counselors. 

During  the  summer  all  of  us  had  chills  and 
fever  except  myself,  sometimes  three  or  four 
of  us  in  bed  at  the  same  time. 

On  Sept.  20th,  my  son,  Charles  M.,  was 
married  to  Mary  Ann  McMasters,  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  by  Daniel  H.  Wells. 

Attended  semi-annual  Conference  on  Oct. 
5,  at  Salt  Lake  City,  being  accompanied  by 
Brother  David  P.  Kimball,  his  son  Thomas, 
and  my  sister-in-law  Fannie  Williams.  The 
two  latter  were  married  on  the  15th. 

My  first  counselor,  David  P.  Kimball,  died 
at  St.  David  on  Nov.  21. 

In  December  Apostles  Heber  J.  Grant  and 
Brigham  Young,  with  Sister  Young,  made 
us  a  visit.  On  the  10th  the  Apostles,  Sister 
Young,  my  wife,  myself  and  a  few  others  left 
St.  David,  went  through  Sulphur  Springs  Val- 
ley and  along  the  Gila  River,  holding  meetings 
at  all  the  settlements.  We  found,  about  a 
mile  or  two  south  of  Safford,  the  families  of 
John  and  Adam  Welker  camped  in  wagons  on 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  199 

the  land  where  they  intended  to  settle.  The 
Apostles  agreed  with  me  that  my  praise  of  the 
Gila  Valley  had  not  been  extravagant. 

In  March,  1884,  I  drove  over  to  the  Gila 
River,  and  on  the  2nd  organized  the  Saints 
who  had  settled  near  Safford.  They  wishing 
to  perpetuate  my  name,  called  themselves  the 
Layton  branch;  John  Welker  was  appointed 
presiding  Elder. 

Attended  annual  Conference  at  Salt  Lake 
City  in  April  and  brought  back  a  car  loaded 
with  Jersey  cows,  alfalfa  seed  and  potatoes. 

In  May  I  bought  a  grist  mill  for  $10,000, 
on  the  Gila  River  (where  Safford  now  stands) 
with  Jonathan  Hoopes  as  partner.  I  after- 
wards bought  it  all  and  160  acres  of  land  also. 

On  May  17  the  Temple  at  Logan,  Utah, 
was  dedicated  by  President  Taylor,  which  cere- 
mony I  did  not  have  the  privilege  of  attend- 
ing, but  my  wife  Caroline  C.  was  there  at  the 
special  request  of  Prest.  Taylor. 

On  May  29  we  were  called  upon  to  sympa- 
thize with  our  dear  friend  Wilmuth  East, 
whose    husband,    Edward    Wallace    East,    a 


200  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

prominent  Elder  and  faithful  worker  in  the 
Church,  died  at  Pima. 

The  Saints  in  Utah  were  now  being  perse- 
cuted under  the  Edmunds  law,  but  as  yet  we 
had  not  been  troubled  here. 

On  July  5  the  Primary  Association  of  St. 
Joseph  stake  was  organized  with  Josephine 
Rogers  as  president;  Eliza  A.  Allred,  first, 
and  Caroline  Johnson,  second  counselors. 

Some  time  in  July  I  bought  about  500  head 
of  Sonora  cattle  and  put  them  on  the  ranch 
in  charge  of  my  son  Richard  and  Joseph  All- 
red.  In  August  I  wrote  to  my  wife  Rosa  H. 
to  come  to  Arizona,  and  I  went  over  to 
Safford  to  get  things  ready  for  her,  but  upon 
receiving  word  from  her  that  she  did  not 
wish  to  leave  Utah,  I  moved  my  wife  Lizzie 
over  to  SafTord  mill  house,  for  I  was  running 
the  mill  and  clearing  mesquit  off  the  land 
which  I  had  bought. 

On  Sept.  5  my  daughter  Annie  B.  was 
married  to  Seth  Jones  in  the  Logan  Temple  in 
Utah ;  she  and  her  husband  came  to  St.  David 
and  taught  school  there. 

One   day  I   received   word   from  the   stage 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  201 

driver  that  my  wives  Rosa  H.  and  Septima  S. 
were  at  Bowie,  so  I  took  a  team  and  went  over 
there.  Found  that  they  had  written  to  me 
when  they  had  concluded  to  come  but  I,  not 
having  received  it,  had  not  been  at  Bowie 
when  they  arrived,  which  was  a  great  disap- 
pointment to  them.  We  came  back  to  Safford 
on  Sept.  15,  and  after  staying  there  for  two 
or  three  weeks  I  settled  my  wife  Septima  S. 
and  family  at  Curtis,  while  the  boys  took  my 
wife  Rosa  Ann  over  to  St.  David.  Her  son 
Isaac  was  very  sick,  but  she  gave  him  such 
good  and  careful  nursing  that  he  recovered. 

In  November  my  wife  Rosa  Ann  came  to 
Safford  and  my  wife  Lizzie  went  back  to  St. 
David. 

Nov.  4,  the  Layton  branch  was  organized 
as  a  ward,  John  Welker,  Bishop. 

On  Dec.  27  a  little  son  was  born  to  my  wife 
Septima  S.  at  Curtis,  whom  we  called  Jesse 
Monroe. 

On  Dec.  7  I  visited  the  territorial  prison  at 
Yuma  with  Apostle  Francis  M.  Lyman  to  see 
Brothers  Tenney  andChristopherson,who  were 
incarcerated  there  for  conscience'  sake. 


202  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

On  Jan.  8,  1885,  Alex.  F.  McDonald,  John 
Campbell  and  I  started  on  a  trip  through 
Mexico  to  see  about  renting  or  buying  land 
on  which  to  locate  families  of  Saints  who  were 
being  driven  into  exile  because  of  the  Ed- 
munds law.  The  federal  courts  and  officers 
were  carrying  their  persecutions  to  such  an 
extent  that  many  of  the  brethren  were  impris- 
oned and  their  families  scattered.  After  go-, 
ing  through  Chihuahua,  and  the  valleys  lying 
on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  Madres  we 
arrived  at  Corralitos  and  found  some  families 
ready  for  settlement  in  the  new  country. 
Among  others  here  who  were  looking  over 
the  country  for  colonizing  purposes  was  a 
lord  of  noble  lineage  from  England,  and  we 
enjoyed  talking  with  him  of  old  home  scenes. 

On  arriving  at  St.  David  I  found  that  while 
I  was  away,  President  John  Taylor,  Apostles 
Joseph  F.  Smith,  Erastus  Snow,  and  Moses 
Thatcher,  also  George  Reynolds,  John  Q. 
Cannon,  and  others,  had  come  to  our  house 
and  had  then  gone  on  to  Guaymas,  Mexico, 
from  which  trip  they  returned  the  day  after  I 
arrived.    A  few  days  later  I  went  to  Salt  Lake 


i  CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  203 

City  with  them.  While  in  Mexico  I  obtained 
silk  handkerchiefs  and  neckties  for  each  of  my 
family,  both  in  Arizona  and  Utah,  which  act  of 
thoughtfulness  seemed  to  please  all  of  them 
very  much. 

From  Salt  Lake  City  I  went  on  to  Kaysville 
and  while  there  received  a  letter  from  Arizona 
telling  me  that  on  Feb.  12  a  pair  of  twin 
girls  had  come  to  my  wife  Lizzie  W.  at  St. 
David.     We  named  them  Lillian  and  Luella. 

In  March  we  held  our  quarterly  Conference 
and  for  the  next  few  months  my  time  was 
fully  occupied  with  stake  duties ;  as  the  stake 
extended  over  100  miles  I  was  riding  around 
a  great  deal,  in  order  to  keep  in  contact  with 
all  the  branches  of  the  work. 

In  June  my  wife  Rosa  H.  and  family  went 
back  to  Utah,  leaving  her  son,  Albert  T.,  with 
us.  I  moved  my  wife  Lizzie  and  family  over  to 
the  mill  at  Safford. 

We  held  our  June  Conference  at  Pima. 

About  the  first  of  September  a  feeling  of 
anxiety  and  uneasiness  depressed  my  spirit 
and  I  told  my  friends  that  I  knew  some  of  my 
family  in  Utah  must  be  in  trouble  of  some 


204  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

kind,  and  after  a  few  days  I  received  a  tele- 
gram from  my  wife  Sarah,  telling  me  of  the 
death  of  our  son,  Hyrum,  which  had  occurred 
on  the  17th  of  September.  In  a  few  days 
a  letter  came  in  which  we  were  told  how  Hy- 
rum had  been  afflicted  with  rheumatism  of  a 
very  severe  nature  for  about  a  month.  It 
must  have  been  a  very  hard  task  to  have 
handled  him  while  he  was  helpless  for  he  was 
a  large  man,  weighing  about  340  pounds. 

At  our  quarterly  Conference  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  entertaining  Apostles  Erastus 
Snow  and  Brigham  Young  and  received  in- 
structions from  them. 

In  October,  Wm.  D.  Johnson  was  set  apart 
as  my  first  counselor  in  the  stake  presidency. 

In  November  I  moved  my  wife  Septima  S. 
and  family  over  to  St.  David. 

On  Nov.  30  we  had  a  large  meeting  at  my 
house  at  Safford  and  while  we  were  enjoying 
the  spirit  of  brotherly  love  and  union,  some 
Indians  came  to  the  window  (as  we  found  out 
by  the  moccasin  tracks)  and  seeing  so  many 
people  together,  they  knew  the  settlements  must 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  205 

be  almost  deserted,  so  they  went  on  to  Layton 
ward,  stole  a  number  of  horses  and  took  them 
away  with  them.  They  were  followed  by  a 
posse  of  citizens  and  when  crowded  quite  close 
they  turned  the  horses  loose.  Thece  were  re- 
captured but  the  Indians  shot  among  the  men 
and  two  brothers — Lorenzo  and  Seth  Wright 
— were  killed. 

I  was  holding  meeting  at  Pima  the  next 
day,  Dec.  1,  but  I  felt  very  uneasy  and  rest- 
less, and  thinking  something  must  be  wrong 
at  home,  I  excused  myself  and  left  the  meet- 
ing. I  rode  along  very  much  depressed  in 
spirit,  for  several  miles,  when  I  saw  some 
men  coming  rapidly  toward  me.  I  felt  intu- 
itively that  they  were  the  ones  who  would  tell 
me  bad  news.  When  they  met  me  they 
stopped  and  told  me  the  fearful  tale  of  the 
death  of  these  faithful  brothers.  The  sym- 
pathy of  our  people  was  very  sincere  for  the 
widows  and  little  children  thus  bereft  of  their 
protectors. 

During  this  month  many  of  the  Saints  who 
had  been  camping  on  Casas  Grande  River  in 
Chihuahua,     Mex.,    moved     to    the    Peadres 


206  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Verdes  River,  which  townsite  they  named 
Juarez. 

On  Jan.  1,  1886,  my  daughter  Amy  C.  was 
married  to  Reuben  W.  Fuller  at  St.  David  by 
Bishop  Peter  Loughgreen. 

On  Feb.  8  my  son  Richard  G.  led  to  the 
altar  one  of  Zion's  fair  daughters — Annie  E. 
Home — and  they  were  married  at  St.  David 
by  the  Bishop  of  that  place — Peter  Lough- 
green. 

On  March  21  Seymour  B.  Young  being 
with  us,  we  organized  the  Eighty-ninth  quo- 
rum of  Seventies  at  Pima. 

In  the  last  of  March  my  wife  Septima, 
with  five  children,  left  for  Utah,  going  with 
others  who  went  by  teams ;  her  son  Oscar  driv- 
ing her  wagon.  It  was  a  hard  trip,  but  after 
about  six  weeks  they  safely  arrived  at  their 
destination. 

In  May  we  turned  all  hands  who  could  work 
on  the  canal  and  we  brought  it  down  through 
the  valley,  I  doing  about  half  the  work  and 
therefore  owning  half  of  the  canal. 

I  received  a  letter  from  Utah  telling  of  the 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  207 

marriage  of  my  son  James  Albert  to  Edith 
Harrod  on  May  27,  at  Kaysville,  by  Bishop 
Peter  Barton. 

The  Saints  were  wanting  to  settle  close  to- 
gether, so  I  bought  a  600-acre  tract  of  land 
of  a  syndicate  living  in  Tucson,  then  I  bought 
out  the  squatters'  right  and  improvements  by 
taking  quit-claim  deeds  of  them.  Thus  I  was 
in  a  position  to  help  the  Saints  to  get  homes. 
In  July  I  bought  320  acres  of  Peter  Anderson 
(adjoining  the  other  tract)  and  laid  it  out  in 
a  townsite  which  we  named  Thatcher.  I  built 
a  three-roomed  adobe  house  in  Thatcher  ward 
(it  being  the  second  house  built  on  the  town- 
site),  and  we  moved  into  it.  I  also  built  a 
barn.  I  gave  a  lot  for  a  schoolhouse  and  the 
few  Saints  who  were  settling  here  then  built 
an  adobe  building  on  it.  The  mesquit  was  so 
thick  that  when  we  tried  to  go  any  place  we 
were  very  fortunate  if  we  did  not  get  lost.  I 
gave  the  Seventies  a  lot,  but  they  never  made 
any  use  of  it;  also  gave  the  Bishop  a  lot  for 
tithing  purposes.  The  Academy  was  after- 
wards built  upon  it. 

On  Sept.  2  our  house  at  Safford  was  filled 


208  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

with  a  joyous  company,  for  on  that  day  my  son 
Joseph  was  married  to  Cynthia  Fife. 

The  persecutions  under  the  Edmunds  law 
were  continuing  and  many  families  were  in 
exile,  some  going  to  Mexico,  while  many  of 
the  Saints  came  here  and  I  was  kept  busy 
helping  them  to  settle  on  the  townsite,  and 
aiding  them  to  get  a  start  in  a  new  country. 
Nearly  all  the  leading  men  of  our  Church 
were  in  hiding,  paying  fines  or  in  prison;  my 
son-in-law,  Wm.  Galbraith,  having  his  share 
of  imprisonment  with  the  rest.  The  United, 
States  deputies  were  raiding  all  the  settlements 
throughout  Utah  and  even  in  Arizona,  so  that 
it  was  indeed  an  anxious  time. 

President  John  Taylor  sent  a  company  of 
explorers  into  British  Columbia  and  Alberta, 
Canada,  to  select  a  tract  of  land  for  a  colony. 
They  chose  a  place  in  Alberta  and  named 
Cardston  in  honor  of  their  leader,  Charles  O. 
Card.  Four  of  my  sons  afterward  settled 
there. 

On  Jan.  13,  1887,  a  bill  repealing  the  anti- 
Mormon  test  oath  in  Arizona  was  passed  by 
the  council  branch  of  the  Arizona  Legislature. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  209 

The  house  passed  it  the  following  day  and  the 
governor  signed  it  on  Jan.  15. 

On  Feb.  15  the  Edmunds-Tucker  bill  was 
adopted  by  the  United  States  House  and 
Senate  and  the  act  became  a  law  without  the 
signature  of  the  President.  Under  the  pro- 
visions of  this  law  a  United  States  receiver 
took  possession  of  Church  offices  and  a  whole- 
sale confiscation  of  Church  property  was 
threatened. 

April  7  will  be  remembered  as  a  joyous 
day,  for  then  my  two  sons  Heber  C.  and  Al- 
bert T.  were  married  at  Layton,  Heber  hav- 
ing chosen  Agnes  Almeda  Welker  as  his  bride, 
while  Albert  selected  Almeda  Tibbetts.  I  per- 
formed the  ceremony. 

Utah  was  again  arranging  to  demand  State- 
hood. The  State  convention  met,  and  after 
several  days  adopted  a  constitution  on  July  5 
— one  feature  of  which  was  the  anti-polygamy 
clause.  President  John  Taylor  was  still  in 
exile  and  was  very  sick  at  Kaysville.  On  July 
18,  Presidents  Geo.  Q.  Cannon,  Joseph  F. 
Smith  and  others  went  to  him  and  watched  at 
his  bedside;  and  on  the  25th  he  died  at  the 

15 


210  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

house  of  Thos.  F.  Rouche.  The  funeral  was 
held  in  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  29th,  after 
which  a  council  meeting  decided  that  the  coun- 
selors should  preside  until  the  Twelve  could 
get  together.  On  Aug.  3,  at  another  council 
meeting,  Brothers  Cannon  and  Smith  were 
reinstated  in  their  places  in  the  Twelve,  and 
the  Twelve  were  sustained  as  the  Presidency 
of  the  Church.  On  Aug.  20  the  remains  of 
President  John  Taylor  were  transferred  to  a 
granite  sepulchre  in  Salt  Lake  City  cemetery. 

In  the  fall  of  this  year  I  built  a  small  store 
building  of  brick,  thinking  there  were  now 
enough  settlers  here  to  justify  the  transaction; 
I  put  in  a  small  amount  of  goods. 

On  Nov.  11a  little  daughter  was  born  to  my 
wife  Lizzie,  at  Thatcher,  and  we  named  her 
Priscilla. 

In  December  we  received  word  from  Utah 
that  the  "poetess  of  Israel/'  Eliza  R.  Snow, 
who  was  president  of  all  Relief  Societies  in  the 
Church,  had  died  in  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  Sth. 

Awaking  very  early  one  morning  in  De- 
cember with  a  feeling  that  something  was 
wrong,  I  arose  and  built  a  fire  in  the  fire- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  211 

place  and  also  in  the  stove.  About  5  a.  m. 
Joseph  Allred  came  in  with  Apostle  Brigham 
Young,  having  come  over  from  St.  David  in 
the  night.  They  were  thankful  for  the  warm 
fire  which  greeted  them,  and  also  that  I  obeyed 
the  impression  which  I  had  that  some  one 
needed  a  good  fire;  they  stayed  with  us  sev- 
eral days. 

On  Feb.  13,  1888,  my  daughter  Eliza  A., 
her  husband,  Joseph  Allred,  and  their  family 
moved  over  to  Thatcher  from  St.  David;  they 
lived  with  my  daughter  Amy,  while  they  built 
a  house  for  themselves. 

We  were  trying  to  improve  our  town  a  little 
and  I  had  shade  trees  set  out  for  a  mile  along 
Main  street  and  the  sidewalk  cleared  and  lev- 
eled, which  added  much  to  the  beauty  as  well 
as  the  convenience  of  walking. 

On  May  19  my  daughter  Selina  C,  her  hus- 
band, Edward  Phillips,  and  their  family  of 
five  children  arrived  from  Utah.  They  were 
accompanied  by  my  son  Chauncey  W.  and  had 
been  five  weeks  on  the  journey  with  teams. 
They  brought  their  furniture  and  provisions 
with  them ;  also  scrapers  and  farm  implements. 


212  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

They  lived  with  my  son  Joseph  for  a  few 
weeks  while  they  built  a  brick  house. 

At  the  annual  Conference  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  on  April  7,  1889,  a  First  Presidency  was 
sustained,  consisting  of  Wilford  Woodruff  as 
President  and  Geo.  Q.  Cannon  and  Joseph  F. 
Smith,  counselors;  this  being  the  fourth  time 
that  a  First  Presidency  had  been  established 
in  the  Church. 

In  June  I  took  a  contract  to  carry  United 
States  mail  from  Bowie  to  Ft.  Thomas;  also 
from  Ft.  Thomas  to  Globe;  also  Ft.  Thomas 
to  Ft.  Grant,  and  Bowie  to  Ft.  Bowie. 

In  the  fall  I  remodeled  the  mill  at  Safford, 
enlarging  its  capacity. 

In  September  the  Saints  living  north  of 
Kaysville  were  organized  into  a  ward  and  they 
named  it  East  Layton  in  honor  of  our  family. 

In  November  the  Endowment  House — 
which  had  been  erected  in  1855 — and  in  which 
so  many  of  my  children,  wives  and  myself  had 
been  sealed  and  had  had  the  privilege  of  its 
sacred  ordinances,  was  torn  down. 

On  Jan.  5,  1890,  a  little  daughter  came  to 
my  wife  Lizzie  W.  and  we  named  her  Minnie. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  213 

During  this  year  nearly  all  the  civil  rights 
left  to  the  Saints  in  Utah  were  threatened  by 
proposed  anti-Mormon  legislation  (the  Lib- 
erals being  in  power). 

In  July  the  United  States  contract  took  ef- 
fect, and  I  also  secured  the  contract  from  the 
United  States  to  supply  San  Carlos  Indian  res- 
ervation with  10,000  pounds  of  flour  a  week. 
As  this  had  to  be  freighted,  the  work  used 
about  eighty  horses,  and  my  sons  and  sons-in- 
law  were  kept  busy  at  work;  they  always 
worked  together  very  harmoniously.  I  built 
a  house  at  Bowie,  also  a  stable  for  the  horses 
which  were  used  a  sa  relay  for  the  stage ;  some 
of  my  sons  or  sons-in-law  taking  charge  of  the 
business  there;  I  (or  one  of  my  sons)  going 
there  once  a  month  to  pay  off  the  men. 

On  Sept.  24,  President  Woodruff  issued  a 
manifesto  "advising  the  Saints  to  refrain  from 
contracting  any  marriage  forbidden  by  the  law 
of  the  land."  This  became  a  subject  for  gen- 
eral discussion  and  at  the  semi-annual  Confer- 
ence on  Oct.  4,  5  and  6,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  it 
was  accepted  by  unanimous  vote. 

In  April,  1891,  I  sold  my  store  to  my  son 


214  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

Joseph  (but  I  bought  it  back  in  about  a  year). 
My  time  was  fully  occupied  as  I  had  many  bus- 
iness interests  besides  my  Church  duties;  the 
town  of  Thatcher  was  growing  in  population, 
land  was  being  cleared,  shade  trees  planted, 
and  grain  being  put  in;  also  many  fields  were 
sowed  in  alfalfa.  The  other  wards  were  also 
settling  rapidly  and  I  visited  all  of  them 
twice  each  year.  The  Lord  blessed  me  with 
good  health  and  strength  and  my  faith  in  the 
Priesthood  and  the  Gospel  was  strong. 

On  March  17,  1892,  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  the  Relief  Society  was  celebrated  through- 
out the  Church.  We  had  a  very  enjoyable 
time  in  this  stake. 

Attended  the  Conference  in  April  at  Salt 
Lake  City.  President  Lorenzo  Snow  on  the 
6th  explained  the  order  of  ceremony  at  the 
laying  of  the  capstone  of  the  Temple  and 
trained  the  congregation  in  shouting  "Hosan- 
nah,"  after  which  remarks  were  made  by 
President  Wilford  Woodruff.  The  congre- 
gation then  proceeded  to  the  Temple  in  pro- 
cession, when  the  capstone  of  the  Temple  was 
laid    amid    great    enthusiasm    and    rejoicing, 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  215 

President  Woodruff  pressing  the  electric  but- 
ton which  caused  the  stone  to  be  lowered  to 
its  place.  After  the  shouting  of  "Hosannah," 
the  vast  congregation,  on  motion  of  Apostle 
Francis  M.  Lyman,  voted  that  the  Temple 
should  be  finished  by  April  6,  1893.  About 
40,000  people  were  present  and  participated  in 
the  ceremonies. 

On  the  evening  of  the  7th  the  statue  of 
Moroni  on  the  main  east  tower  and  the  spire 
on  the  middle  west  tower  of  the  Temple  were 
beautifully  illuminated  with  incandescent 
lights  for  the  first  time. 

On  April  11  a  little  son  came  to  my  wife 
Lizzie  W.  at  Thatcher,  and  we  named  him 
Gilbert. 

Our  family  had  another  joyous  occasion  on 
May  24,  when  my  son  Oscar  and  Lula  Lewis 
were  married  at  Thatcher,  my  counselor  Wm. 
D.  Johnson  performing  the  ceremony. 

On  Oct.  12  the  First  Presidency  of  the 
Church  issued  a  certificate  to  me  as  an  Elder 
to  preach  the  Gospel  in  the  United  States  and 
to  administer  in  all  the  ordinances  pertaining 
to  that  office. 


216  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

In  the  spring  of  1893  I  sold  the  Safford  mill 
to  J.  T.  Owens. 

Went  up  to  Utah  in  April  to  Conference 
and  the  dedication  of  the  Temple  at  Salt  Lake 
City.  The  services  were  repeated  almost  daily 
from  the  6th  to  the  24th.  Thirty-one  meet- 
ings were  held,  which  were  attended  by  a  total 
of  nearly  75,000  people. 

On  the  23rd  the  Temple  was  opened  for 
ordinance  work  under  the  immediate  direction 
of  the  First  Presidency. 

About  7,000  people  from  Utah  visited  the 
World's  Fair  in  Chicago. 

During  the  year  1894  President  Cleveland 
pardoned  all  polygamists  and  restored  them  to 
their  rights. 

In  January  I  received  news  from  Utah  of 
the  death  (on  the  16th)  of  my  old  friend  and 
associate,  Wm.  R.  Smith,  whose  counselor  I 
had  been  for  many  years  in  the  Davis  stake. 

On  May  19  a  little  daughter  came  to  my 
wife  Lizzie  W.,  whom  we  named  Elizabeth. 

In  June  I  sold  the  store  to  my  son-in-law, 
Joseph  G.  Allred. 

On  the  last  day  of  August  (31st)  my  son 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  217 

Frederick  was  married  to  Barbara  Allen  Mc- 
Guire  at  Thatcher,  Brother  Wm.  D.  Johnson 
performing  the  ceremony. 

This  valley  was  now  dotted  over  with 
homes  of  the  settlers  and  we  had  quite  large 
assemblages  at  our  quarterly  conferences.  Our 
schools  were  being  well  attended;  each  ward 
had  one  or  more  schoolhouses.  The  Lord's 
blessing  rested  upon  us  and  we  prospered ;  our 
hearts  were  united  in  the  cause  of  Truth.  The 
engineers  had  been  through  our  valley  and 
staked  out  a  line  for  a  railroad;  the  grading 
of  the  road  gave  employment  to  some  of  our 
newcomers. 

In  October  I  attended  Conference  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  while  in  Kaysville  I  bought 
materials  for  running  an  ice  factory  and 
creamery. 

In  January,  1895,  the  railroad,  named  the 
Gila  Valley,  Globe  and  Northern,  was  com- 
pleted as  far  as  Pima  and  we  enjoyed  seeing 
the  cars  traversing  our  beautiful  valley. 

In  the  spring  I  put  the  ice  plant  into  opera- 
tion in  a  building  which  I  had  built  at  Thatch- 
er.    This  was  the  worst  enterprise  I  ever  un- 


218  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

dertook  and  I  became  almost  discouraged 
several  times,  for  I  had  put  so  much  money 
into  it  and  for  more  than  a  year  we  could  get 
nothing  but  frost  on  the  pipes.  I  sent  around 
to  Globe  and  other  places  and  finally  found  an- 
other engine.  In  July  I  had  a  well  dug  back 
of  the  factory,  the  engine  pumping  water  and 
also  running  the  ice  plant.  We  supplied  the 
valley  with  ice  all  that  summer,  and  it  was  a 
blessing  to  many  of  us  in  the  hot  sultry  days. 

From  news  received  from  Utah  I  learned 
that  my  son  David  E.  was  chosen  Bishop  of 
the  West  Layton  ward,  when  it  was  organ- 
ized on  Feb.  22. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  219 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

APPROACHING  THE  END. 

Honorably  Released  as  Stake  President — Rapidly- 
Failing  Health — Choice  Reunions  and  Bless- 
ings— Prepares  to   Go   Home  to  Utah. 

AFTER  all  the  trials  which  Utah  had  made 
for  Statehood,  she  was  at  last  rewarded, 
for  on  January  4,  1896,  President  Grover 
Cleveland  signed  the  proclamation  which  ad- 
mitted her  into  the  sisterhood  of  States. 

I  attended  annual  Conference  at  Salt  Lake 
City  at  which  time  Moses  Thatcher  was  not 
upheld  as  one  of  the  Twelve,  because  of  his 
refusal  to  sign  a  manifesto  issued  by  the  gen- 
eral authorities  of  the  Church  to  the  Saints,  in 
which  the  leading  men  of  the  Church  were  re- 
quested to  seek  counsel  before  accepting  po- 
litical offices  which  would  interfere  with  their 
ecclesiastical  duties.     His  certificate  to  preach 


220  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

the  Gospel  was  also  revoked.  I  felt  very  sad 
over  this  occurrence,  for  Brother  Thatcher 
was  a  great  friend  of  mine. 

Our  community  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  death  of  my  second  counselor,Brother  Mor- 
gan Henry  Merrill,  who  left  us  on  July  26th. 
He  was  a  good,  faithful  Saint  and  his  loss  was 
felt  in  the  entire  stake. 

On  Sept.  4  another  little  daughter  was  added 
to  our  household,  coming  to  my  wife  Lizzie  W. 
and  we  named  her  Wilmuth. 

On  Nov.  13  my  business  called  me  to  the 
lower  end  of  the  valley,  and  as  I  was  not  feel- 
ing very  well,  I  asked  my  son-in-law,  E.  C. 
Phillips,  to  accompany  me.  I  hoped  the  ride 
in  the  fresh  air  would  benefit  me,  but  I  was 
disappointed  for  I  did  not  feel  any  better.  I 
finished  my  business  at  Geronimo  and  we  start- 
ed on  the  return  trip,  but  I  continued  to  feel 
worse ;  when  between  Thomas  and  Pima  I  was 
attacked  with  severe  cramps,  which  continued 
all  night  and  for  several  days  without  much 
relief. 

In  December  my  sons  Charles  and  Samuel 
came  from  Utah  to  visit  me  and  stayed  two 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  221 

or  three  weeks  with  us,  but  I  still  remained 
confined  to  my  bed. 

I  traded  property  in  February,  1897,  with 
my  son  Joseph,  and  moved  into  his  house.  I 
was  enough  better  that  I  could  walk  around 
out  of  doors  some  each  day.  I  remodeled  the 
house  somewhat. 

My  son  Charles  M.  and  his  family  arrived 
from  Utah  on  March  17,  and  moved  into  my 
old  house. 

In  May  I  was  again  confined  to  my  bed, 
and  on  the  10th  I  felt  very  uneasy  and  as  if 
something  was  wrong  with  my  son  Joseph, 
who  had  been  under  the  doctor's  care  at  Saf- 
ford  for  several  days.  Although  I  asked  ques- 
tions about  him,  the  answers  were  evasive,  but 
the  next  morning  they  told  me  he  was  dead. 
The  funeral  services  were  held  at  Thatcher, 
Brothers  Wm.  Packer  and  Benjamin  Peel  be- 
ing the  chief  speakers.  He  was  interred  in  the 
Thatcher  cemetery. 

My  health  did  not  become  better  although 
sometimes  I  felt  a  little  better  for  a  few  days, 
then  some  days  I  had  excruciating  pains;  but 


222  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

the  Lord  gave  me  patience  and  endurance  to 
bear  my  sufferings. 

In  January,  1898,  I  received  the  following 
letter  from  the  First  Presidency  at  Salt  Lake 
City: 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 

January  21st,   1898. 
President  Christopher  Laytcn, 
St.  Joseph  Stake. 

Dear  Brother  Layton — A  short  time  ago 
a  member  of  your  family  had  a  conversation 
with  Elder  Brigham  Young  in  relation  to  your 
physical  condition,  in  which  it  was  represented 
that  your  health  was  such  as  to  render  it  al- 
most impossible  for  you  to  give  that  attention 
to  the  interests  of  the  Stake  which  it  requires, 
and  that  it  would  be  a  great  relief  for  you  to 
be  released  from  the  duties  now  devolving 
upon  you  as  its  president. 

This  information  which  Brother  Young  had 
received  from  a  member  of  your  family,  he  re- 
ported to  a  late  meeting  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency and  Apostles,  with  a  recommendation 
that  the  suggested  change  be  made  and  that  a 
younger  and  more  active  man  be  appointed  to 
succeed  you.  We  may  say,  that  we  ourselves 
and  the  members  of  the  Council  generally  have 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  223 

understood  that  your  health  for  some  time 
past  has  been  in  quite  a  poor  state,  and  that  it 
has  been  with  difficulty  that  you  have  been 
able  to  attend  to  your  stake  duties.  After 
fully  considering  this  matter,  the  Council  unan- 
imously decided  to  honorably  release  you  as 
President  of  the  St.  Joseph  stake,  and  to  ap- 
point Andrew  Kimball,  a  son  of  the  late  Pres- 
ident Heber  C.  Kimball,  to  be  your  successor, 
your  release  to  take  effect  when  he  shall  be 
installed. 

We  trust  this  action  will  receive  your  un- 
qualified approval,  and  that  you  will  receive 
it  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  made,  and  give  to 
Brother  Kimball  your  sympathy  and  hearty 
support,  and  help  him  in  every  way  you  pos- 
sibly can  to  establish  himself  and  family  in 
your  midst,  and  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  for 
we  feel  that,  although  the  state  of  your  health 
has  incapacitated  you  for  the  more  active  work 
such  as  is  required  in  a  stake  like  St.  Joseph, 
which  covers  so  much  country,  you  can,  nev- 
ertheless, be  of  great  use  and  benefit,  and  your 
influence  may  also  be  exerted  for  great  good, 
in  assisting  and  supporting  Brother  Kimball  in 
the  labors  and  duties  which  shall  be  required 
of  him. 

We  feel  that  the  Lord  will  accept  of  your 
labors  in  the  St.  Joseph  stake,  and  that  he 
will  bless  and  reward  you  for  your  long  years 


224  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

of  faithful  service  in  the  Church,  and  continue 
to  bless  you  as  our  fellow  servant. 
With  kindest  regards,  we  are 
Your  brethren, 

Wilford  Woodruff, 
Geo.  Q.  Cannon, 
Jos.  F.  Smith. 

P.  S. — Elders  John  Henry  Smith  and  John 
W.  Taylor  have  been  appointed  to  attend  your 
Conference  on  the  30th  and  31st  inst.  for  the 
purpose  of  installing  Brother  Kimball  as  your 
successor;  and  they  have  been  authorized  to 
reorganize  the  High  Council  and  such  part  of 
the  stake  as  they  may  deem  necessary,  and  we 
trust  that  yourself  and  the  officers  and  Saints 
generally  will  give  these  brethren  your  fullest 
and  heartiest  support  in  whatever  changes  they 
may  see  proper  to  make. 

W.  W. 

G.  Q.  C. 

J.  F.  S. 

On  Jan.  27,  Apostles  John  Henry  Smith 
and  John  W.  Taylor  came  from  Utah  to  at- 
tend to  the  business  of  St.  Joseph  stake.  The 
wards  and  stake  were  disorganized,  every  one 
receiving  an  honorable  release  from  their  la- 
bors, on  the  28th,  then  on  the  29th  the  stake 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  225 

was  reorganized  with  Andrew  Kimball  as 
president  and  Wm.  D.  Johnson  as  first  and 
Charles  M.  Layton  as  second  counselors.  On 
the  30th  the  wards  were  all  reorganized,  and 
on  the  31st  the  High  Council  was  reinstated. 
On  Sunday,  January  30,  Brother  John 
Henry  Smith  spoke  to  the  conference  and 
paid  me  the  following  tribute  of  respect: 

President  Layton  has  been  an  honest  and 
industrious  man;  his  time  and  means  have 
been  at  the  disposal  of  th'^  authorities  of  the 
Church  for  the  upholding  of  the  Lord's  king- 
dom. In  rearing  his  large  family  he  has  done 
nobly  by  them,  always  keeping  them  employed, 
and  they  were  a  credit  to  him.  He  has  opened 
the  way  by  which  many  families  have  secured 
homes  and  the  comforts  of  life;  he  has  been, 
and  is,  a  blessing  to  thousands;  he  has  his 
faults  and  has  made  mistakes,  but  not  serious 
ones.  I  regard  him  as  a  generous,  high- 
minded  gentleman,  one  who  has  made  the 
world  much  better  by  having  lived  in  it.  He 
gave  his  young  manhood  to  preserve  the  lib- 
erty of  the  people  he  loved  so  well;  his  ma- 
ture judgment  and  great  common  sense  have 
been  freely  utilized  for  the  extension  of  Zion ; 
in  his  declining  days  and  as  he  is  hastening  to 

16 


226  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

the  Great  Beyond  to  make  his  reckoning  there, 
I  say  of  him,  he  is  one  of  God's  jewels,  and 
that  his  name  is  written  in  the  Lamb's  book 
of  life.    I  bless  him  and  his  posterity  forever. 

BLESSING 

Given  by  Philemon  C.  Merrill,  patriarch,  at 
Thatcher,  Arizona,  April  20,  1898. 

Brother  Christopher  Layton,  I  place  my 
hands  upon  your  head — having  been  set  apart 
and  ordained  as  a  patriarch — and  in  the  author- 
ity thereof  I  bless  you  and  pray  that  God  will 
dictate  by  the  spirit  that  which  I  shall  say,  for 
by  that  power  all  blessings  come.  You  are 
holding  the  position  that  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob  held  to  bless  their  children;  therefore 
thy  mind  shall  be  exercised  in  behalf  of  thy 
posterity,  notwithstanding  thou  mayest  be 
called  to  enter  a  higher  sphere  of  action  in 
the  due  time  of  the  Lord ;  thou  shalt  exercise  in 
that  sphere  a  greater  influence  and  power  than 
thou  canst  tabernacled  as  thou  art  now,  for 
the  spirit  cannot  expand  when  it  is  trammeled 
with  flesh  and  blood.  Brother  Layton,  thou 
shalt  always  have  in  thy  posterity  a  represent- 
ative in  the  earth,  for  when  thy  name  is  called 
there  will  always  be  one  to  answer  to  that 
call;  thy  work  shall  proceed  onward  until  the 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  227 

end  of  the  earth,  and  as  one  of  the  patriarchs 
thou  wilt  administer  blessings  upon  thy  chil- 
dren's children  and  that  spirit  which  has  ac- 
tuated the  patriarchs  of  old  shall  be  carried 
on  in  the  lineage  of  which  thou  art,  even  that 
of  Levi,  for  in  that  tribe  they  will  offer  an  of- 
ering  in  righteousness  in  the  earth  in  the  flesh, 
for  thou  hast  already  obtained  the  same  bless- 
ings that  were  sealed  upon  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob.  Thou  hast  received  in  the  house 
of  God  all  thine  anointings,  all  that  was  or 
ever  will  be  given  to  man  in  the  flesh.  All 
thy  faults  have  gone  before  thee,  and  are  can- 
celled in  the  earth  and  in  the  heavens.  They 
children  will  bless  thee  and  remember  thee  in 
fond  remembrance  and  carry  on  the  great  work 
which  shall  complete  thine  exaltation,  for  thou 
shalt  stand  on  the  right  hand  of  Joseph  and 
Hyrum  in  connection  with  all  the  prophets 
(for  thou  art  an  evangelist),  clothed  upon 
with  eternal  lives.  In  the  resurrection  none 
will  have  a  more  glorified  body ;  therefore  I 
say  unto  you,  be  thou  blessed  with  the  spirit  of 
your  exaltation,  for  thou  art  fully  ripe  and 
prepared  to  enter  into  thy  rest.  Now  I  seal 
these  blessings  upon  you,  ratifying  your  former 
blessings  that  have  been  placed  upon  your 
head ;  therefore,  be  comforted  in  these  sayings 
for  they  are  true  and  faithful,  and  will  be  fully 
realized  by  you,  when  you  gaze  upon  the  labors 


228  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

of  your  past  life  in  your  numerous  posterity 
which  shall  continue  to  be  upon  you  and 
yours  throughout  the  endless  ages  of  eternity. 
I  seal  these  blessings  upon  you  as  a  patriarch, 
in   the   name   of   Jesus    Christ.  Amen. 

PATRIARCHAL    BLESSING 

Given  by  Samuel  Claridge,  upon  the  head  of 
Christopher  Layton,  at  Thatcher,  Graham 
County,  Arizona. 

Brother  Christopher  Layton,  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  I  lay  my  hands  upon 
your  head  and  bestow  upon  you  a  father's 
blessing,  which  shall  be  given  according  to 
the  patriarchal  order,  that  was  given  to  our 
father  Abraham;  and  Brother  Christopher 
Layton,  by  virtue  of  the  authority  and  power 
that  is  given  me  to  bless,  I  bless  you  and  you 
shall  be  blessed.  God,  our  heavenly  Father, 
has  accepted  of  your  labors  and  there  is  a 
greater  reward  awaiting  you  and  the  glory 
and  power  thereof  is  greater  than  I  can  de- 
scribe. You  have  been  preserved  from  your  in- 
fancy from  dangers  and  death  in  order  that 
you  may  accomplish  a  great  work  upon  this 
earth.  The  angels  of  God  have  shielded  you 
and  watched  over  you  in  times  of  danger,  and 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  229 

your  life  has  been  preserved  up  to  this  pres- 
ent time  for  a  wise  purpose  in  your  heavenly 
Father,  and  this  seeming  affliction  that  you 
have  passed  through,  and  are  still  passing 
through,  shall  be  sanctified  to  your  good  and 
redound  to  your  glory,  and  you  shall  yet  say, 
"How  kind  and  merciful  my  Father  in  heaven 
has  dealt  with  me."  It  will  not  be  long  before 
your  spirit  will  pass  by  on  the  other  side,  and 
there  you  will  meet  your  wives  and  children, 
your  father  and  mother,  the  Prophets  and 
Apostles  who  have  died,  and  they  will  honor 
you  and  respect  you  and  you  shall  have  a 
glorious  time,  and  these  light  afflictions  shall 
be  but  a  bubble  compared  to  the  glory  and 
happiness  that  await  you  there.  You  are  a 
child  of  Abraham,  through  the  loins  of  Joseph, 
and  all  the  blessings  that  were  promised  upon 
him  that  was  sold  into  Egypt  shall  be  yours: 
your  children  shall  be  great  and  mighty  in  the 
priesthood  and  none  shall  excel  them  in  all 
Israel :  they  shall  become  a  power  in  Israel  for 
the  building  up  of  Zion.  You  shall  see  Zion 
redeemed,  you  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven  with  Christ,  our  Redeemer,  and  all  his 
holy  angels.  You  shall  enter  into  that  glorious 
temple  that  shall  be  reared  in  Jackson  county, 
and  there  you  shall  meet  your  children's  chil- 
dren, who  will  be  upon  the  earth  and  your 
ancestors  that  have  lived  for  generations  past 


230  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

shall  reap  the  benefit  of  your  visits  to  that  holy 
temple. 

I  now  say,  God  bless  you  and  may  the  an- 
gels of  peace  watch  over  you  and  bear  you  up 
in  their  arms,  that  peace  may  be  upon  you 
from  this  time,  henceforth  and  forever.  All 
these  blessings  I  seal  upon  you  and  you  shall 
realize  the  fulfillment  of  them  all,  which  I 
promise  in  the  name  of  Jesus.    Amen. 

On  the  morning  of  Jan.  29,  1898,  before 
going  to  conference  Apostles  John  Henry 
Smith  and  John  W.  Taylor,  accompanied  by 
Andrew  Kimball,  called  at  our  house.  My 
wife  Lizzie  was  present,  and  we  sent  for  my 
sons  Charles  M.  and  Richard ;  also  my  daugh- 
ters Eliza  and  Selina.  They  all  knelt  around 
my  bed,  John  Henry  Smith  leading  in  prayer. 
Then  he  blessed  me,  which  filled  my  soul  with 
peace  and  joy;  after  which  he  ordained  me  a 
Patriarch,  and  I  bestowed  the  mantle  of  my 
office  upon  the  shoulders  of  Andrew  Kimball. 

In  the  spring  my  oldest  daughter,  Elizabeth 
Galbraith,  having  heard  of  my  sickness,  came 
from  Mexico  and  stayed  with  us  for  about  a 
month.     In  some  respects  it  was  a  sorrowful 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  231 

visit,  for  her  husband  had  recently  passed  to 
the  "other  side  of  the  vail,"  and  we  both  felt 
that  it  was  our  last  visit  together  on  this  earth. 
While  she  was  here  my  youngest  child,  Wil- 
muth,  and  she  had  their  picture  taken  together. 
Libby  was  fifty-four  years  old,  while  Wilmuth 
was  only  two  years. 

On  my  seventy-seventh  birthday,  March  8, 
although  not  able  to  arise,  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  welcoming  to  our  house  all  of  my  children 
who  live  in  Arizona,  their  wives  and  husbands, 
President  Andrew  Kimball,  Patriarch  P.  C. 
Merrill  and  wife,  Brother  E.  M.  Curtis  and 
wife,  and  Dr.  Karl  G.  Maeser.  We  sang,  "We 
thank  Thee,  O  God,  for  a  prophet;"  then  my 
son-in-law  Joseph  G.  Allred  offered  a  prayer, 
followed  by  some  remarks  by  President  Kim- 
ball ;  who  seemed  to  be  moved  by  the  Spirit  as 
he  talked  to  us  of  the  necessity  of  having  a 
family  organization,  and  said  he  would  like 
to  see  one  in  this  family,  which  idea  was  well 
received  by  all  present.  Then  Charles  talked 
to  us,  followed  by  Brother  Merrill,  his  wife, 
Cyrena,  my  wife  Lizzie,  my  daughters  Selina 
and  Eliza,  all  of  which  was  very  consoling, 


232  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

and  we  all  felt  the  good  influence  of  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  with  us.  President  Kimball  sug- 
gested that  a  committee  of  the  family  be  ap- 
pointed to  look  up  my  genealogy  and  write  a 
history  of  my  life. 

We  elected  my  daughter  Selina  Phillips  as 
the  secretary  for  this  work,  with  Charles  and 
Richard  to  assist  her.  Sister  Sylvia  L.  Ses- 
sions was  chosen  and  engaged  for  the  scribe. 
We  also  chose  a  committee  to  assist  us  in  this 
work  who  live  in  Kaysville,  Utah,  namely: 
Christopher  Layton,  Jun.,  Mary  Ann  Swan 
and  Annie  B.  Jones.  Patriarch  Merrill  also 
offered  to  assist  us  in  every  way  that  he  could. 

I  then  gave  my  children  a  family  blessing 
and  admonished  them  to  remain  true  to  the 
Gospel  of  Christ;  never  to  consider  their  call- 
ing a  task,  but  to  regard  it  as  a  pleasure;  to 
always  honor  whatever  office  they  were  called 
upon  to  fill  and  to  never  obligate  themselves 
farther  than  they  could  see  their  way  clear. 
Brother  Kimball  said  he  should  be  pleased  to 
consider  himself  a  member  of  this  family  and 
would  take  pleasure  in  doing  anything  in  his 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  233 

power  to  assist  us  in  this  work.  After  singing, 
Brother  Merrill  pronounced  a  benediction. 

As  I  was  now  much  wearied,  the  company 
all  departed  and  with  a  prayer  in  my  heart  for 
them  and  my  other  families  in  Utah  I  com- 
posed myself  to  rest.  I  often  wondered  why 
it  was  that  I  must  suffer  so  long  and  intensely, 
but  Dr.  Maeser  said  "it  was  that  I  might  learn 
the  lesson  of  patience. "    I  think  he  was  right. 

In  May  my  wife  Caroline  came  from  Utah 
to  visit  us  and  stayed  about  six  weeks. 

In  June  I  made  up  my  mind  to  pass  my 
last  days  with  my  family  and  friends  in  Utah, 
and  consult  physicians  in  Salt  Lake  City  about 
the  advisability  of  undergoing  an  operation  for 
my  complaint. 

I  will  leave  here  in  a  few  days.  One  thought 
which  is  a  great  comfort  to  me  is  that  not  one 
of  my  children  ever  apostatized.  I  now  ask 
God's  blessings  upon  all  who  shall  read  this 
history  of  my  life ;  may  they  be  faithful  to  do 
the  will  and  work  of  our  heavenly  Father ;  that 
they  may  have  peace,  joy  and  happiness,  an 
increase  of  wisdom,  knowledge  and  the  power 


234  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 

of  God ;  outside  of  this  there  are  no  promised 
blessings.  May  they  help  each  other  to  be  bet- 
ter and  happier;  cultivate  and  preserve  an  en- 
lightened conscience  and  follow  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  hold  fast  to  what  is  good,  endure  to 
the  end  and  great  shall  be  your  reward  for 
your  trials  and  heart-yearnings  and  tears ;  yea, 
our  God  will  give  you  a  crown  of  unfading 
glory  through  the  countless  ages  of  eternities. 


[With  the  above  impressive  prayer  and 
testimony  closes  the  autobiography  of  Chris- 
topher Layton — that  is,  the  personal  sketch  of 
his  life  as  dictated  by,  or  read  to  and  approved 
by  him.  The  brief  story  of  his  final  return 
to  his  old  home  at  Kaysville,  and  his  death,  to- 
gether with  the  full  proceedings  of  his  funeral, 
and  the  loving  tribute  headed  "Personal  Char- 
acteristics/' which  constitute  the  following 
chapter,  was  prepared  by  the  committees  rep- 
resenting the  family,  referred  to  on  page  234 
and  in  the  Introduction  to  this  little  volume. 

J.  Q.  C] 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  235 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  END   IN   MORTALITY. 

The  Last  Journey — Undergoes  operation — Death  on 
Aug.  7,  1898 — Impressive  Funeral — Personal 
characteristics. 

ON  June  13,  1898,  our  father,  Christopher 
Layton,  left  for  Utah.  He  had  been  sick 
for  over  a  year  and  a  half,  and  at  many  times 
we  had  thought  he  could  not  live  longer,  but  in 
answer  to  prayers  and  administrations  by  the 
Priesthood,  his  wonderful  vitality  again  as- 
serted itself. 

Several  days  before  his  departure,  we  had 
telegraphed  for  a  through  parlor  car,  and  re- 
ceived reply  that  the  railroad  company  would 
take  him  to  Kaysville,  Utah,  without  change  of 
cars  or  delay.  His  wife  Lizzie,  and  our  broth- 
ers Charles  and  Richard  accompanied  him  to 
Bowie,  where  the  parlor  car  was  to  meet  him. 

He  bore  the  trip  with  fortitude  but  grew 
slightly  impatient  while  waiting  at  Bowie,  for 


236  THE  LAST  JOURNEY. 

he  feared  his  strength  would  fail  before  he 
could  reach  his  journey's  end.  When  every 
arrangement  for  his  comfort  was  completed 
and  the  train  left  for  California,  Richard  sadly 
returned  to  Thatcher,  feeling  that  he  had  part- 
ed from  our  father  for  the  last  time  on  earth. 

The  trip  was  very  comfortable,  and  he  rested 
as  easily  as  if  at  home.  On  arriving  at  Oak- 
land, Cal.,  they  were  informed  that  they  must 
change  cars.  Father  walked  the  length  of  the 
long  train  and  into  the  depot,  where  they 
were  obliged  to  remain  a  half  hour,  then  walk 
again  quite  a  distance  to  the  other  car;  and 
when  they  were  again  on  the  train,  he  was 
completely  exhausted  and  for  a  while  it  seemed 
as  if  he  could  not  possibly  survive  to  reach  his 
destination;  but  at  last  his  system  responded 
to  the  restoratives  used  and  again  he  rested 
comfortably.  He  had  no  appetite  for  anything, 
nothing  seemed  to  tempt  him  to  eat,  until  from 
the  dining  car  were  procured  some  fresh  green 
peas,  which  he  really  enjoyed. 

On  arriving  at  Ogden,  Utah,  he  was  met  by 
his  sons  and  daughters  and  Apostle  Richards, 
who  took  charge   of  him,   while  they  again 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  237 

changed  cars.  He  now  appeared  to  be  much 
better  ancl  was  able  to  converse  pleasantly  all 
the  rest  of  the  trip. 

They  arrived  in  Kaysville  on  Friday,  June 
17,  and  many  relatives  and  friends  called  to 
welcome  him  back  home. 

As  soon  as  he  was  somewhat  rested  from  the 
journey  he  began  to  suffer  severe  pain  at  in- 
tervals until,  about  the  first  of  July,  it  was 
deemed  best  to  have  a  surgical  operation  per- 
formed. Drs.  Richards  and  Wilcox  were  the 
operating  physicians  and  father  bore  the  ordeal 
well,  though  from  having  taken  so  much  mor- 
phine and  chloroform,  he  was  unconscious 
from  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  until  the  next 
morning  at  2  o'clock,  when  he  rallied  and  im- 
proved beyond  the  expectations  of  his  doctors 
and  friends.  He  was  never  able  to  move  around 
the  house,  although,  at  times,  in  fatherly  so- 
licitude, he  gave  kind  counsel  and  admonitions 
to  his  wives,  children  and  friends. 

Rather  unexpectedly,  on  Sunday,  August  7, 
he  appeared  to  be  failing.  Members  of  the 
family  were  immediately  notified  and,  sur- 
rounded by  his  families,  honored  and  beloved 


238  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

by  them  all,  he  peacefully  fell  asleep  and  his 
spirit  was  with  God. 

The  relatives  from  Arizona  arrived  at  Kays- 
viHe  on  Friday  and  the  funeral  was  held  in 
the  meeting  house  on  Saturday,  Aug.  13,  at 
2  o'clock  p.  m. 

The  bishop  of  the  ward,  Peter  Barton, 
showed  him  honor  by  purchasing  beautiful 
mourning  decorations  for  the  house,  which  was 
filled  with  a  sympathizing  assemblage. 

The  proceedings  at  the  funeral  services  here 
follow  in  full: 

FUNERAL. 

"Hark!  from  afar  the  funeral  knell 
Moves  on  the  breeze,  its  echoes  swell!" 

PRAYER    BY    STAKE    PRESIDENT    JOHN    W.    HESS. 

Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  we  have  met 
here  together  today  on  this  solemn  occasion  to 
pay  unto  one  of  thy  faithful  servants  our  re- 
spect and  the.  gratitude  that  we  feel  towards 
Thee,  our  Father.  We  realize,  our  Heavenly 
Father,  that  it  is  in  Thy  providence  that  we 
should  come  into  this  world  and  take  upon  us  a 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  239 

body,  and  to  lay  a  foundation  for  our  future 
existence ;  and  that  it  is  also  in  thy  providence 
that  we  should  lay  down  these  tabernacles  that 
we  have  taken  upon  us  when  the  time  comes, 
until  the  time  of  the  resurrection.  These  are 
fixed  providences  which  we  fully  understand. 
And  Father,  inasmuch  as  we  have  come  to- 
gether here  today  to  show  our  respect  and 
our  honor  to  this  thy  servant  that  has  been 
called  away  from  us,  we  have  come,  Father, 
feeling  that  it  is  also  in  thy  providence  that 
we  have  the  privilege  of  doing  so  under  these 
favorable  circumstances;  because  we  do  know 
that  thy  people  have  fallen  by  the  way;  they 
have  been  left  upon  the  plain;  they  have  been 
left  under  various  circumstances  which  were 
not  as  favorable  as  those  which  confront  us 
this  day.  We  thank  thee,  O  our  God,  that  thou 
hast  been  thus  mindful  of  us,  that  thou  hast  in 
thy  providence  watched  over  us,  and  that  thy 
care  has  been  over  us,  that  we  have  been  pre- 
served, and  that  many  of  us  still  live  arid  still 
have  a  fixed  desire  in  our  hearts  to  serve  thee, 
and  to  fill  up  our  days  in  helping  to  build  up 
thy  kingdom,  as  this  thy  servant  President 
Layton  has  done.  O  God,  our  Father,  we  feel 
in  our  hearts  that  thy  servant  has  been  one  of 
thy  chosen  servants,  and  that  he  has  performed 
a  great  and  mighty  work,  and  that  he  has  been 
faithful  even  unto  the  end;  and  that  he  has 


240  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

laid  down  his  tabernacle  with  his  spirit  filled 
with  the  testimony  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Father, 
we  thank  thee  for  this  blessing,  that  this  thy 
servant  has  thus  been  faithful,  and  pray  that  we 
may  be  enabled  to  emulate  his  example  in  our 
lives,  and  labor  faithfully  as  he  has  done ;  and 
when  our  time  shall  come,  that  it  may  be  said 
that  we  have  been  faithful  to  the  last.  Father, 
we  do  not  feel  that  there  is  any  occasion  here 
today  to  mourn,  or  to  feel  a  regret  that  thy 
providence  has  removed  from  us  this  thy  ser- 
vant; but  Father,  we  feel  to  thank  thee,  we 
feel  to  thank  and  to  bless  thy  holy  name,  that 
thy  servant  has  thus  been  faithful,  and  that 
he  has  laid  a  foundation  that  will  never  be 
thrown  down.  Father,  wilt  thou  bless  his  pos- 
terity, his  numerous  posterity  of  sons  and 
daughters  and  wives ;  may  their  hearts  be  com- 
forted this  day,  our  Father,  and  may  they,  in- 
stead of  mourning,  feel  to  rejoice  in  their 
hearts  that  they  are  representing  so  noble  a 
character,  so  faithful  a  husband  and  father; 
that  they  may  rejoice  in  thy  goodness  to  him, 
for  the  care  and  protection  that  has  been  over 
him,  that  he  has  lived  to  a  good  age ;  and  that 
they  may  emulate  all  his  good  examples,  and 
that  they  also  at  the  proper  time  may  rejoice 
in  heaven,  faithful  to  the  end.  Father,  bless  us 
here  this  day;  may  the  solemnity  of  this  occa- 
sion rest  upon  each  one  of  us,  and  may  our 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  241 

hearts  be  open  to  the  words  of  truth  that  we 
may  hear  from  thy  servants.  Father,  we  also 
thank  thee  for  the  privilege  of  having  with  us 
one  of  the  Presidents  of  thy  Church,  even  Pres- 
ident Smith  and  Apostle  Smith  also,  and  Pres- 
ident Seymour  B.  Young ;  that  we  are  so  high- 
ly favored,  that  we  are  honored  with  their 
presence.  And  we  pray  that  thou  wilt  bless 
them,  and  inspire  them  with  the  feeling  that 
they  may  talk  those  things  to  us  that  shall  be 
for  our  good  ;  that  we  may  be  strengthened  and 
have  power  to  go  forth  and  do  good  in  the 
earth.  We  dedicate  ourselves,  together  with 
the  labors  and  services  of  this  afternoon,  and 
all  that  pertains  unto  us,  and  pray  that  thy 
care  and  protection  and  peace  may  be  over  us 
continually ;  which  we  ask  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Redeemer.     Amen. 

"Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,  nearer  to  Thee," 
by  the  choir. 

REMARKS  BY  PRESIDENT  JOSEPH   F.   SMITH. 

Contrary  somewhat  to  my  usual  custom, 
and  not  altogether  in  accordance  with  my  nat- 
ural desire,  I  rise  to  speak  to  you  as  the  Lord 
may  give  me  utterance,  at  the  beginning  of  this 
meeting.  I  would  very  much  prefer  to  listen 
and  to  keep  my  seat,  than  to  occupy  this  posi- 

17 


242  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

tion  myself,  for  I  could  satisfy  my  mind  and 
my  spirit  better,  I  think,  so  far  as  I  am  person- 
ally concerned,  in  reflection  and  in  listening  to 
the  thoughts  expressed  by  others,  than  it  will 
be  possible  for  me  to  do  in  attempting  to  speak 
to  you.  I  do  not  feel  that  there  should  be  here 
present  a  spirit  of  mourning  or  of  lamentation ; 
and  we  have  not  met  together  under  such  an 
influence  or  with  such  a  spirit  hovering  over 
us.  On  the  contrary  we  have  met  together  to 
rejoice  as  well  as  to  mourn ;  and  we  feel  grate- 
ful and  thankful  to  the  Lord  our  God,  as  well 
as  to  feel,  or  to  sense  the  feeling  of  depriva- 
tion, of  loneliness  and  of  sadness  which  comes 
to  us  by  reason  of  the  departure  from  us  of  one 
who  has  been  for  so  many,  many  years  so  fa- 
miliar to  us,  and  of  one  upon  whom  so  many 
have  looked  with  dependence  for  guidance  and 
for  counsel  and  for  support. 

We  have  on  this  occasion  before  us  the  re- 
mains of  a  very  notable  man,  a  man  of  strong 
individuality,  and  of  great  physical  and  mental 
power  and  magnetism ;  a  man  who  was  fitted 
and  qualified  by  nature  to  be  a  leader  among 
men,  and  a  power  in  the  midst  of  his  fellow 
creatures.  He,  Brother  Christopher  Layton, 
was  no  common  man ;  he  was  no  ordinary  in- 
dividual; he  was  a  rare  man.  He  was  one 
among  a  thousand.  Although  lacking  in  edu- 
cation, in.  the  esteem  as  it  is  reckoned  by  the 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  243 

world,  yet  mentally  and  intellectually  he  was 
capacitated  to  cope  with  the  most  learned  in 
relation  to  the  management  of  the  material  af- 
fairs of  life ;  and  there  were  few  men  really  his 
equal  in  relation  to  the  management  of  tem- 
poral affairs.  He  was  a  vigorous,  energetic, 
clear-minded,  conscientious  man,  and  a  man 
whose  natural  qualifications  fitted  him  for 
many  responsible  public  duties  and  positions  in 
the  midst  of  the  Saints  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
people  wherever  he  has  dwelt.  My  recollection 
goes  back  to  a  very  early  day,  when  Bishop 
Layton,  as  we  used  to  call  him  familiarly,  was 
the  bishop  of  this  ward.  In  those  early  days 
Kaysville  was  not  what  it  is  today.  I  remem- 
ber it  at  that  time,  or  in  those  days,  as  almost 
a  barren  waste;  one  of  the  most  forbidding, 
uninviting  regions  that  could  be  found  in  all 
this  vast  barren  valley;  when  Bishop  Layton 
was  the  bishop  here.  That  is  in  the  beginning 
of  his  bishopric;  although  at  that  time  this 
region  of  country  began  to  look  up  and  become 
prosperous.  Before  that  I  believe  Bishop  Al- 
len Taylor  was  bishop.  I  have  passed  through 
here  when  it  was  impossible  to  find  a  spear  of 
hay  or  anything  better  than  wheat  chaff  or  oat 
straw  with  which  to  feed  a  team.  But  under 
the  bishopric  of  our  beloved  brother  whose  re- 
mains now  lie  before  us,  a  change  came  over 
the  face  of  this  land,  and  it  began  to  be  pros- 


244  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

perous,  and  the  people  began  to  be  prosperous 
in  it ;  for  the  Lord  blessed  the  earth  here,  and 
by  the  aid  of  lucerne,  which  seemed  to  be  so 
naturally  adapted  to  the  climate  here,  every- 
thing seemed  to  take  a  start  in  the  upward 
direction.  After  serving  for  many  years  as 
bishop,  he  was  chosen  as  a  counselor  in  the 
presidency  of  this  stake  of  Zion  when  this  stake 
was  organized.  And  he  remained  counselor  in 
the  presidency  of  the  stake  until  circumstances 
arose  which  made  it  necessary  for  his  personal 
safety,  not  because  of  any  crime  or  misde- 
meanor in  the  eye  of  God  or  of  any  righteous 
man,  but  personal  safety,  made  it  necessary 
for  him  to  seek  a  home  in  another  part  of  our 
land.  And  in  the  course  of  time  he  became  the 
president  of  the  Saint  Joseph  stake  of  Zion  in 
Arizona;  and  remained  the  president  of  that 
stake,  prosperously  guiding  and  directing  the 
energies  of  the  people  in  that  region  of  country 
until  his  health  failed  him  and  he  was  stricken 
with  weakness,  until  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  attend  to  the  duties  of  his  calling.  And  un- 
der these  circumstances  it  was  deemed  wisdom 
to  release  him  from  the  arduous  duties  as  pres- 
ident of  the  Saint  Joseph  stake  and  ordain  him 
a  patriarch,  and  place  a  younger  man  in  the 
position  of  president  of  that  stake  of  Zion. 
And  soon  after  this,  his  health  failing,  he  re- 
turned here  to  Kaysville,  to  his  former  home 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  245 

and  to  the  scenes  of  his  former  activity  and 
to  the  associations  of  his  former  days,  to  end 
his  mortal  life  among  his  old  friends  and  in  the 
midst  of  his  family. 

Brother  Layton  had  reached  an  advanced 
age,  not  as  old  as  he  might  have  been,  possibly, 
if  he  had  been  more  cautious  and  careful  of 
his  health,  and  had  not  been  so  inured  to  hard- 
ships and  to  activity  and  to  toil  and  labor ;  for 
it  is  a  fact  that  while  a  certain  amount  of  ener- 
gy and  of  activity  is  productive  of  health  and 
the  prolongation  of  life,  yet  when  the  mental 
and  the  physical  powers  are  overtaxed  by  too 
arduous  labor  and  too  great  a  strain,  both  the 
mind  and  the  body  must  yield  to  the  undue 
pressure  upon  it,  and  under  such  circumstances 
life  is  often  cut  short.  I  believe  that  President 
Layton,  or  Patriarch  Layton,  with  his  natural 
energy  and  vital  force,  if  he  had  been  more 
cautious  or  careful  of  his  health  all  through, 
might  have  lived  to  a  very  great  age.  But  he 
has  worn  out  in  the  service  of  the  Lord,  and 
in  the  service  of  the  people  of  God,  and  in  the 
service  of  his  family.  He  has  not  rusted  out. 
He  has  not  fallen  to  pieces  by  disuse  or  any- 
thing of  this  kind,  for  he  was  always  energetic ; 
he  was  always  active ;  he  was  always  persever- 
ing; and  he  was  always  pushing  and  forging 
ahead  for  something  that  would  be  of  vast  im- 
portance to  mankind ;  so  that  nothing  too  good 


246  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

can  be  said  of  our  beloved  brother  and  friend, 
Bishop  Layton.  I  have  but  one  regret  in  my 
heart,  and  that  is  that  I  did  not  lay  aside  my 
duties  and  my  cares  and  responsibilities  that 
continue  to  press  upon  me,  during  his  last  ill- 
ness to  come  here  and  see  him ;  make  him  a  vis- 
it and  renew  our  association;  for  I  have  la- 
bored with  him  in  times  past.  Some  of  you 
will  remember  that  in  the  presidency  of  Brig- 
ham  Young,  I  myself  acted  as  the  president  of 
this  stake  of  Zion,  although  it  was  not  at  that 
time  organized  into  a  stake.  But  I  was  appoint- 
ed by  President  Young  to  labor  here  as  the  pre- 
siding officer  over  Davis  county.  President  Lay- 
ton  was  one  of  my  right  hand  men,  one  of  my 
active  advisers  and  helpers,  and  I  learned  to 
appreciate  his  work  and  his  ability  as  a  man 
almost  endowed  with  real  genius  in  many  re- 
spects. And  I  was  acquainted  with  him  in  the 
days  of  his  bishopric,  and  in  the  days  of  my 
presidency  here,  and  also  in  the  days  of  his  as- 
sociations with  President  Smith  and  President 
Hess  here;  and  I  have  been  acquainted  with 
him  ever  since  his  appointment  to  the  presi- 
dency of  the  stake  of  Zion.  And  all  through 
I  have  been  pleased  and  gratified  with  my  ac- 
quaintance with  so  noble  and  so  faithful  and 
so  energetic  a  man. 

Now  my  brothers  and  sisters,  it  matters  not 
in  relation  to  these  things,  about  our  tempor- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  247 

alities.  I  might  spend  all  the  moments  that 
were  allotted  to  me  here  in  eulogies  of  Brother 
,Layton,  but  it  would  amount  to  but  little  after 
all.  Some  of  you  knew  him  more  than  I  did, 
and  I  am  thankful  for  it,  and  I  feel  to  say  God 
bless  the  family  of  Brother  Christopher  Layton. 
He  has  done  a  great  work  in  the  earth,  and  I 
tell  you  that  he  has  made  his  calling  and  elec- 
tion about  as  sure  as  almost  any  man  I  think 
that  ever  lived  in  the  flesh,  so  far  as  that  is 
concerned.  I  want  to  read  a  few  words.  The 
Lord  says : 

"Behold!  mine  house  is  a  house  of  order, 
saith  the  Lord  God,  and  not  a  house  of  con- 
fusion. 

"Will  I  accept  of  an  offering,  saith  the  Lord, 
that  is1  not  made  in  my  name? 

"Or,  will  I  receive  at  your  hands  that  which 
I  have  not  appointed? 

"And  will  I  appoint  unto  you,  saith  the 
Lord,  except  it  be  by  law,  even  as  I  and  my 
Father  ordained  unto  you,  before  the  world 
was? 

"I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  I  give  unto  you 
this  commandment,  that  no  man  shall  come 
unto  the  Father  but  by  me,  or  by  my  word, 
which  is  my  law,  saith  the  Lord ; 

"And  everything  that  is  in  the  world,  wheth- 
er it  be  ordained  by  me,  by  thrones,  or  prin- 


248  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

cipalities,  or  powers,  or  things  of  name,  what- 
soever they  may  be,  that  are  not  by  me  or  by 
my  word,  saith  the  Lord,  shall  be  thrown 
down,  and  shall  not  remain  after  men  are  dead, 
neither  in  nor  after  the  resurrection,  saith  the 
Lord  your  God ; 

"For  whatsoever  things  remain,  are  by  me; 
and  whatsoever  things  are  not  by  me,  shall  be 
shaken  and  destroyed." 

Now,  there  is  a  principle  involved  in  this, 
and  it  is  a  principle  of  vast  consequence  to  the 
children  of  men,  and  it  is  a  principle  that  in- 
volves the  relation  that  exists  today  between 
him  who  was  Bishop  Layton,  or  President  Lay- 
ton,  and  this  vast  concourse  of  people  that  I 
see  before  me  here,  which  constitute  his  wives 
and  his  children  and  his  children's  children  to 
the  second  or  third  generation.  I  want  to  as- 
sure this  family  and  also  this  vast  congrega- 
tion that  those  who  are  associated  with  Broth- 
er Layton  have  become  associated  unto  him 
and  with  him,  by  the  law  of  God,  and  by  the 
power  of  the  Almighty;  and  therefore  they 
will  remain  in  and  after  the  resurrection  from 
the  dead,  and  there  is  no  power  on  earth,  nor 
in  the  heavens,  nor  beneath  the  heavens  that 
can  ever  disrupt  or  destroy  the  relationships 
that  have  been  formed  under  and  in  connec- 
tion with  the  power  of  God,  and  the  law  of 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTONl  249 

God,  between  Brother  Layton  and  his  family, 
except  the  power  of  sin,  and  that  sin  on  the 
part  of  the  individuals  themselves.  We  have 
every  reason  to  believe  that  Brother  Layton 
himself  has  been  true  to  his  convictions,  has 
been  faithful  to  the  light  that  he  possessed, 
and  to  the  intelligence  that  he  possessed,  and 
the  power  that  he  possessed  to  cope  with  the 
affairs  of  the  world  that  were  arrayed  against 
him ;  and  that  he  has  been  faithful  to  the  last ; 
and  that  he  has  fought  the  good  fight ;  that  he 
has  kept  the  faith;  that  henceforth  there  is 
laid  up  for  him  a  crown  of  everlasting  life,  and 
no  man  can  take  it  from  him.  Now  I  want  to 
say  to  the  family  and  the  children  and  wives  of 
Brother  Layton,  that  the  relationships  that 
have  been  formed  between  you  and  this  man, 
are  not  relationships  that  were  destined  to  last 
until  death  should  part  you  and  then  cease,  but 
they  were  relationships  that  were  intended  to 
exist  throughout  the  countless  ages  of  eter- 
nity, because  they  were  by  God  created, 
formed,  and  entered  into  and  confirmed,  and 
therefore  they  are  eternal  in  their  nature. 

The  house  of  God  is  a  house  of  order.  Let 
me  read  a  little  more  in  relation  to  the  cove- 
nant of  marriage.  A  distinguishing  feature 
more  than  another  of  his  character  was  that 
he  was  a  married  man,  and  he  was  married  by 
the  law  of  God. 


250  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

"Therefore,  if  a  man  marry  him  a  wife  in 
the  world,  and  he  marry  her  not  by  me,  nor  by 
my  word ;  and  he  covenant  with  her  so  long  as 
he  is  in  the  world,  and  she  with  him,  their 
covenant  and  marriage  are  not  of  force  when 
they  are  dead,  and  when  they  are  out  of  the 
world;  therefore,  they  are  not  bound  by  any 
law  when  they  are  out  of  the  world ; 

"Therefore,  when  they  are  out  of  the  world, 
they  neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage ; 
but  are  appointed  angels  in  heaven,  which  an- 
gels are  ministering  servants,  to  minister  for 
those  who  are  worthy  of  a  far  more,  and  an 
exceeding,  and  an  eternal  weight  of  glory ; 

"For  these  angels  did  not  abide  my  law, 
therefore  they  cannot  be  enlarged,  but  remain 
separately  and  singly,  without  exaltation,  in 
their  saved  condition,  to  all  eternity,  and  from 
henceforth  are  not  Gods,  but  are  angels  of 
God,  forever  and  ever." 

Then  the  Lord  goes  on  to  say,  if  a  man 
marry  a  wife  by  him 'and  by  his  law,  then  that 
covenant  is  accepted  of  the  Lord,  and  it  is  an 
eternal  covenant,  and  they  go  on  to  increase 
and  continue  in  life  and  in  death  and  in  the  res- 
urrection from  the  dead,  and  throughout  the 
countless  ages  of  eternity;  and  then,  says  the 
Lord: 

"Then  shall  they  be  Gods,  because  they  have 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  251 

no  end ;  therefore  shall  they  be  from  everlast- 
ing to  everlasting,  because  they  continue ;  then 
shall  they  be  above  all,  because  all  things  are 
subject  to  them;  then  shall  they  be  Gods,  be- 
cause they  have  all  power,  and  the  angels  are 
subject  unto  them. 

"Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  except  ye 
abide  in  my  law,  ye  cannot  attain  to  this  glory ; 

"For  strait  is  the  gate,  and  narrow  the  way 
that  leadeth  unto  the  exaltation  and  continua- 
tion of  the  lives,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it, 
because  ye  receive  me  not  in  the  world,  neither 
do  ye  know  me. 

"But  if  ye  receive  me  in  the  world,  then  shall 
ye  know  me,  and  shall  receive  your  exaltation, 
that  where  I  am,  ye  shall  be  also. 

"This  is  eternal  life,  to  know  the  only  wise 
and  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  hath 
sent.  I  am  he.  Receive  ye,  therefore,  my 
law." 

I  want  to  say  to  you  that  Brother  Lay  ton 
has  received  this  law ;  Brother  Layton  has  en- 
tered into  this  law.  These  women  that  I  see 
before  me,  that  are  sealed  to  him  for  time  and 
eternity,  entered  into  that  covenant  by  that 
law,  and  they  are  sealed  for  time  and  for  all 
eternity ;  and  they  shall  not  be  angels  who  shall 
be  ministers  unto  those  who  are  worthy  of  a 
far   more    exceeding   and   eternal   weight   of 


252  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

glory ;  they  shall  be  queens  and  priestesses  un- 
to God,  and  shall  reign  in  the  heavens  and  in 
their  kingdoms.  This  is  what  I  wanted  to  say 
to  this  congregation  and  to  his  family,  and  to 
all  who  have  by  the  law  of  God  entered  into 
the  new  and  everlasting  covenants. 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  it  was  a  duty  that 
brought  me  here.  I  felt  that  I  wanted  to  come 
to  pay  my  last  tribute  of  respect  to  my  depart- 
ed brother.  There  are  others  who  can  speak 
of  his  qualifications  and  of  his  faithfulness,  but 
my  time  is  short.  I  came  that  I  might  speak  a 
word  of  comfort  to  this  family ;  if  by  any  word 
of  mine  they  could  be  comforted,  made  to  feel 
a  spirit  of  happiness  and  hope,  a  spirit  of  for- 
giveness one  towards  another,  of  forgiveness 
for  everything  that  they  have  felt  was  wrong 
in  their  lives  or  in  the  lives  of  those  with  whom 
they  have  been  associated.  If  they  will  for- 
give one  another,  and  will  be  worthy  of  the 
covenants  that  they  have  made,  they  will  reap 
the  reward  and  they  will  not  be  deprived  of  any 
blessing  that  has  been  promised  unto  them,  nor 
shall  any  promise  fail  that  has  ever  been  made 
to  them.  His  sons  shall  be  blest;  his  daugh- 
ters shall  be  blest ;  and  every  child  shall  be  blest 
in  this  land  that  is  given  unto  you.  Possess 
this  land  and  inherit  it,  and  inherit  your  fath- 
er's faithfulness  to  the  cause  of  Zion.  Your  fath- 
er has  lived  and  died  true  to  the  gospel ;  and 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  253 

he  has  lived  to  set  an  example  of  integrity  to 
the  cause  of  Zion.  So  let  me  admonish  the 
children  of  Brother  Layton  to  be  true  to  their 
covenants  and  never  depart  from  the  right  way. 
My  brethren  and  sisters,  the  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  Brother  Layton,  I  ask  you  as  a  friend 
and  brother,  and  I  ask  you  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  that  you  will  be  true  to  your 
father,  true  to  your  integrity  as  he  has  been 
true  to  the  integrity  of  the  cause  of  Zion.  As 
he  has  gone  out  of  the  world  sure  of  eternal 
life  and  exaltation,  so  will  you  each  of  you  in 
your  time  follow  your  father,  as  sure  of  exal- 
tation as  he  is  sure  of  exaltation.  Brethren,  I 
would  like  to  spend  an  hour  or  so  talking  with 
you.  I  would  like  to  read  from  the  Scriptures 
the  thoughts  that  are  passing  through  my  mind, 
but  my  time  will  not  permit.  I  have  another 
engagement  in  Salt  Lake  City  a  little  after  four 
o'clock,  and  after  I  shall  close  my  remarks  I 
shall  take  the  liberty  of  departing  from  the 
meeting,  leaving  the  brethren  to  continue  the 
services.  God  bless  the  family,  and  God  bless 
all  that  pertains  to  the  children  of  President 
Layton ;  lead  them  on  triumphantly  until  they 
shall  gain  the  exaltation  that  he  has  gained; 
where  they  shall  not  be  angels  to  minister  unto 
those  that  are  more  worthy,  but  they  shall  be 
kings  and  queens  and  have  everlasting  life  and 


254  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

eternal  increase,  which  is  the  gift  of  God.  May 
the  Lord  bless  you,  is  my  prayer,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus.  Amen. 

REMARKS  BY   SEYMOUR  B.   YOUNG. 

President  Christopher  Layton  received  many 
years  ago,  in  the  eventful  history  of  his  life,  a 
change  of  heart,  and  it  imprinted  itself  upon 
him  as  a  new  life,  and  he  became  as  were  the 
people  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  a  convert  to 
the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  he  ex- 
claimed as  Ruth  exclaimed:  "do  not  persuade 
me  from  following  after  them."  He  said  to 
the  people  of  the  Lord,  "whither  thou  goest  I 
will  go,  and  whither  thou  diest  there  I  will  die 
also,  for  thy  people  shall  be  my  people  hence- 
forth ;"  and  this  was  characteristic  of  the  life 
of  Christopher  Layton.  I  believe  that  he  was 
a  friend  of  mine,  and  I  am  proud  to  say  that  I 
was  a  very  true  friend  to  him  so  far  as  I  knew 
how  to  be.  And  I  say  God  bless  his  memory ; 
and  I  testify  that  the  words  spoken  by  Presi- 
dent Joseph  F.  Smith  are  true,  and  they  do 
truly  represent  the  life  and  character  of  Pres- 
ident Christopher  Layton.  And  I  will  repeat 
the  words  of  Whittier,  who  said :  "He  has  done 
the  work  of  a  true  man ;  crown  him,  bless  him, 
honor  him,  and  love  his  name  forever. "  God 
bless  the  family  of  Christopher  Layton.  God 
bless  you  all,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  and  may 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  255 

you  seek  to  exemplify  the  noble  lives  that  are 
set  before  you  as  leaders,  in  all  your  life  to 
come,  following  the  good  example  of  these 
great  men  that  live  and  die  in  our  midst.  And 
we  have  the  full  testimony  that  has  been  read  to 
us  today,  and  that  testimony  is  in  every  heart, 
that  the  Lord  has  said,  seeing  the  good  works  of 
his  faithful  servant,  "go  up  higher."  May  this 
be  the  lot  of  every  one  of  us,  to  walk  faithfully 
before  the  Lord,  keeping  his  commandments 
and  magnifying  the  callings  he  has  placed 
upon  us,  doing  our  whole  duty  as  faithful  ser- 
vants and  handmaidens ;  with  the  hope  that  at 
the  end  of  our  days,  it  may  be  truthfully  said 
also  of  us :  "he  has  fought  the  good  fight,  he 
has  kept  the  faith,  henceforth  there  is  a  crown 
of  glory  laid  up  for  him."  May  this  be  the  well 
done  and  happy  termination  of  all  of  our  lives ; 
that  we  may  receive  those  welcome  plaudits, 
"well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servants  and 
handmaidens,  enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 
This  is  the  condition  I  testify  today  of  Chris- 
topher Layton.  His  faithful  life  has  gained 
this  happy  result  for  him.  May  we  also  be 
faithful,  is  my  prayer,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

REMARKS  BY  APOSTLE  JOHN  HENRY  SMITH. 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  I  am  happy  in  the 
privilege  of  attending  these  services  and  of 


256  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

adding  my  tribute  of  respect  to  President  Lay- 
ton;  as  it  has  fallen  to  my  lot  probably  more 
than  to  any  of  the  associates  in  my  immediate 
council,  to  have  companionship  with  President 
Lay  ton.  For  the  past  ten  or  twelve  years,  al- 
most yearly,  and  sometimes  twice  a  year,  I 
have  made  the  tour  of  the  southern  stakes  of 
the  Church.  And  through  this  means  have 
been  thrown  more  or  less  intimately  with  Pres- 
ident Layton  in  his  field  of  labor.  A  year  ago 
last  March  I  was  in  that  part  of  the  country 
and  discovered  that  he  was  in  a  very  critical 
condition  physically.  Upon  mv  return  to  Utah, 
I  told  the  Presidency  that  it  seemed  to  me  that 
it  would  be  a  measure  of  propriety  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  preservation  of  his  health,  that 
the  cares  and  the  labors  that  were  upon  him 
he  should  be  relieved  of.  They  felt,  how- 
ever, that  there  was  no  necessity  particular- 
ly for  change  under  the  circumstances,  al- 
though President  Layton  had  said  to  me  in 
parting  with  him,  that  he  felt  that  he  was  car- 
rying about  all  that  was  possible  for  him  to 
do,  and  he  would  regard  it  in  the  light  of  re- 
lief to  be  freed  from  his  responsibilities.  It 
was  my  privilege  again,  during  the  earlier 
months  of  the  present  year,  upon  his  solicita- 
tion and  in  company  with  others  of  the  breth- 
ren, to  make  the  changes  that  led  to  his  release 
from  that  presidency.    And  it  is  always  a  deli- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  257 

cate  place  to  be  put  in,  no  matter  what  the  con- 
dition of  our  health  or  the  circumstances  sur- 
rounding" us  are,  to  relieve  men  who  have  been 
strong,  determined  and  capable  in  the  perform- 
ance of  every  duty  in  their  lives  to  the  best 
of  their  ability.  But  I  believe  that  his  family 
that  were  with  him  in  that  part  of  the  country 
will  bear  us  out  in  this,  that  in  the  performance 
of  this  duty,  we  received  his  blessing  and  his 
approval  and  most  kindly  feeling  in  the  labor 
that  we  had  there  to  perform.  And  in  speak- 
ing in  the  conference  where  the  changes  were 
made,  I  almost  felt  in  paying  a  brief  tribute  to 
his  labors  and  ministry,  that  it  was  like  pos- 
sibly the  preaching  of  his  funeral  sermon ;  for 
it  did  not  seem  to  me  that  it  was  possible  that 
he  could  last  any  great  length  of  time;  al- 
though his  great  or  his  splendid  constitution 
seemed  to  be  struggling  against  the  encroach- 
ments of  disease;  and  with  his  heroic  courage 
and  determination  to  bear  up  to  the  last  min- 
ute, no  one  can  tell  the  possibilities  of  a  man  of 
his  type.  I  desire  to  endorse  with  all  my  heart, 
the  remarks  that  have  been  made  by  my  breth- 
ren who  have  preceded  me  on  this  occasion. 
And  I  think  he  himself,  in  possibly  the  last 
conversation  but  one  that  I  ever  held  with  him 
previous  to  our  separation  in  Arizona  last 
spring,  paid  as  high  a  tribute  to  his  own  fam- 
ily as  any  one  of  us  could  possibly  pay,  es- 

18 


258  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

pecially  so  it  is  the  case  in  regard  to  his  chil- 
dren. I  think  several  times,  however,  in  my 
meeting  with  him,  he  has  made  the  remark ;  "I 
am  the  father  [if  I  remember  the  number  cor- 
rectly] of  over  fifty  living  children,  and  I  have 
neither  boy  or  girl  that  would  ever  allow  me  to 
hitch  up  or  unhitch  a  horse  if  they  were  about 
the  home."  I  thought  in  his  remark  made  in 
regard  to  this  numerous  family,  it  was  a  tribute 
probably  that  few  men  could  pay  to  their  chil- 
dren, even  where  they  had  but  a  limited  family 
of  one,  two,  three,  four  or  five  children,  and 
possibly  more;  and  that  it  spoke  volumes  for 
his  leadership,  the  force  of  his  character,  and 
the  influence  and  power  that  he  exercised  in 
the  control  and  government  of  his  family.  I 
have  been  led  to  think  as  I  was  sitting  here 
upon  my  seat  and  listening  to  the  remarks  that 
have  been  made,  what  family  in  this  district 
has  been  better  housed  and  better  fed,  that 
have  been  kept  more  industriously  at  work, 
than  has  the  family  of  Brother  Layton?  Is 
there  any  man  in  the  district  standing  abso- 
lutely alone,  without  wife  or  child,  that  has 
fared  better  than  he  has  fared,  than  his  family 
has  fared?  Or  any  man  with  a  wife  and  no 
children,  or  with  a  wife  and  half  a  dozen  chil- 
dren, that  has  done  his  part  in  a  more  master- 
ful manner,  in  providing  for  the  wants  and 
needs,  and  utilizing  the  powers  and  forces  that 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  259 

he  possessed  in  directing  the  improvements 
and  labors  of  his  house,  in  the  accomplishment 
of  their  temporal  good  ?  And  I  believe  that  the 
same  impress  of  forcefulness  manifested  in 
the  industry  of  his  household,  he  has  also  es- 
tablished and  fixed  in  their  spiritual  needs.  Not 
that  it  can  be  anticipated,  nor  should  be,  that 
there  shall  not  be  members  of  a  house  of  this 
magnitude  that  shall  not  be  possessed  of  faults, 
that  shall  not  make  some  mistakes  and  have 
some  of  the  weaknesses  of  human  nature.  We 
could  not  anticipate  this.  President  Layton 
was  possessed  of  his  faults  and  weaknesses. 
He  made  his  mistakes.  It  has  fallen  to  my 
lot  in  my  companionship  with  him,  to  adjust 
troubles  between  him  and  his  brethren,  and  to 
correct  him ;  and  I  have  noted  in  connection 
with  this  delicate  species  of  labor,  that  he  has 
never  failed  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  to -ex- 
hibit that  degree  of  humility  that  was  in  him; 
and  I  have  had  greater  love  and  respect  and 
regard  for  his  devotion  to  the  cause  which  he 
had  entered  in  his  early  life.  I  was  talking 
last  evening  with  a  young  man,  a  former  resi- 
dent of  your  county,  and  remarking  to  him  that 
among  the  remarkable  men  of  our  time  was 
Christopher  Layton;  and  that  among  the  most 
remarkable  body  of  men  that  had  ever  been 
brought  together  in  this  world,  were  the  men 
who  established  themselves  in  these  valleys  in 


260  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

the  early  day.  Standing  upon  the  corner  of 
one  of  the  blocks  of  Salt  Lake  City,  I  enumer- 
ated to  this  young  man  and  pointed  to  the 
homes  of  men  who  had  been  residents  in  a  cer- 
tain section  of  Salt  Lake  City,  to  the  place  they 
had  taken  among  their  fellow  men,  and  to  the 
characteristics  and  strength  of  the  body  of  men 
whom  the  Almighty  had  selected  for  the  ac- 
complishment and  establishment  of  his  work. 
We  talk  about  education.  The  world  you 
know  are  making  every  effort  that  it  is  possible 
for  them  to  make  in  the  line  of  what  they  call 
the  higher  education ;  that  the  school  may  be 
utilized  for  the  benefit  of  the  human  race  in 
every  possible  form,  and  they  are  schooling 
them  scientifically.  It  takes  a  scientific  man  to 
be  a  captain  of  one  of  our  steamships.  It  takes 
a  scientific  man  to  be  a  master  mechanic  on 
board  one  of  those  boats.  It  takes  a  man 
schooled  and  trained  in  the  accomplishment  of 
those  purposes  looking  to  the  naval  interests 
of  our  country,  to  our  military  interests,  to 
our  civil  interests,  etc.  Here  was  a  man  edu- 
cated up  to  the  highest  possible  standard,  not 
in  the  scholastic  training,  or  in  the  training  of 
the  schools ;  but  in  that  practical  common  sense, 
that  ability  and  force  and  power  that  from  the 
elements  right  around  him  he  has  wrung  a 
fortune,  been  enabled  to  provide  for  an  im- 
mense household,  pointing  the  way  by  which 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  261 

from  the  sordid  elements  the  blessings  of  life 
could  be  wrung;  all  through  that  master  edu- 
cation, the  great  common  sense  which  the  Al- 
mighty gave  him.  He  has  been  a  blessing  to 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  his  fellow  men. 
Thousands  of  men  and  women  among  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints  who  have  come  in  contact  with 
him,  and  been  under  his  advice  and  compan- 
ionship, must  say  if  they  tell  the  truth  of  him, 
"he  was  a  blessing  to  me,  he  was  a  blessing  to 
my  home,  he  pointed  the  way  in  some  measure 
to  the  success  that  has  attended  my  life.^ 
While  he  possessed  characteristics  that  I  was 
not  pleased  with,  his  native  individuality  and 
strength  and  power  and  skill  with  which  God 
had  endowed  him,  made  him  a  tower  of 
strength  and  blessing  to  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands of  his  fellow  men.  I  am  not  here  to 
bestow  eulogies  upon  Brother  Layton.  You 
knew  him,  you  knew  his  characteristics.  You 
knew  the  forcefulness  of  his  nature  and  the 
faith  with  which  God  had  endowed  him.  You 
knew  the  determination  that  was  in  him  that 
said  "there  shall  be  no  drone  in  the  hive  of  our 
God."  If  there  was  necessity  of  labor  or 
strength  or  power,  he  possessed  it,  and  he  has 
utilized  it  with  the  ability  which  his 
Maker  has  given  him  for  the  blessing  of  his 
fellow  men.  Under  what  circumstances  he 
may  have  been  placed,  he  has  never  betrayed 


262  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

a  friend;  he  has  never  betrayed  the  gospel  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  he  has  never  betrayed 
his  Redeemer ;  he  has  never  betrayed  his  Maker 
or  the  principles  of  truth  so  far  as  he  had  light 
and  knowledge  and  understanding  to  guide 
and  govern  his  life.  If  he  has  made  any  mis- 
takes, they  have  been  mistakes  of  the  head  and 
not  of  the  heart.  I  found  fault  with  him  upon 
one  occasion  because  of  his  devotion  and 
friendship  to  men  that  I  thought  were  bad 
men,  and  he  regarded  me  as  extremely  harsh 
in  the  judgment  that  I  passed  in  regard  to 
those  men.  Two  years  later,  in  meeting  him, 
he  came  to  me  and  confessed  that  the  position 
that  I  had  assumed  in  regard  to  the  matter 
was  correct,  and  that  his  friendship  had  warped 
his  judgment  in  connection  with  this  matter, 
and  that  he  had  been  placed  in  a  position  that 
was  unfortunate  from  that  friendship.  It  is 
not  for  me  to  say  here  that  he  was  without 
fault.  It  is  not  for  me  to  say  here  that  there  is 
any  man  or  woman  or  child  without  fault,  and 
to  heap  encomiums  without  wisdom  or  judg- 
ment upon  the  heroic  men  who  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  this  commonwealth  and  whose  hearts 
were  in  tune  with  liberty,  and  with  the  de- 
termination fixed  and  established  among  them, 
that  every  man,  woman  and  child  who  accepted 
a  belief  in  the  supreme  Being,  who  desired  to 
do  his  bidding,  should  be  blest  by  their  coun- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  263 

sels  and  their  efforts.  This  was  the  case  with 
this  man  who  established  himself  here.  He 
returned  to  the  southern  land  as  one  of  the 
saviors  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  carrying  the 
standard  of  our  nation,  and  being  one  of  the 
means  that  led  to  the  preservation  of  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints  in  the  midst  of  many  of  their 
trials.  We  could  point  to  his  heroic  acts,  and 
of  his  associates,  who  offered  themselves  that 
the  interests  of  our  government  might  be  ex- 
tended. And  returning  to  these  fields,  util- 
ized his  means  in  the  purchase  of  large  tracts 
of  country,  placing  it  in  the  reach  of  others ; 
devoting  himself  with  the  energy  that  should 
have  been  found  in  a  young  man  of  twenty 
years.  Almost  to  the  day  of  his  death  was  he 
planning  and  scheming  that  the  borders  of 
Zion  might  be  extended,  and  that  the  men  and 
women  who  had  come  under  his  watch-care, 
should  be  put  upon  the  soil,  that  they  might 
have  blessings  such  as  the  possession  of  homes 
could  give.  My  brothers  and  sisters,  as  I  look 
over  the  past,  and  as  I  note  the  changes  that 
are  being  daily  wrought  in  the  passing  of  that 
heroic  band  who  built  up  that  civilization  that 
we  possess,  while  a  tear  of  regret  at  separation 
may  pass  down  my  cheek  as  I  note  one  by  one 
passing  behind  the  scenes,  I  rejoice  in  the  fact 
that  I  have  known  them.  I  feel  that  I  am  a 
better  man  for  having  known  Christopher  Lay- 


264  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

ton;  for  having  seen  the  liberality  of  his  soul 
and  the  products  of  that  wisdom  that  God  gave 
him  and  the  use  he  made  of  his  powers.  And 
I  might  go  on  and  point  out  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  them ;  for  I  bow  my  head  in  rev- 
erence to  them  all.  Each  one  was  a  hero,  no 
matter  where  they  had  been  placed.  They  had 
their  selfish  make  up;  they  had  their  peculiar 
characteristics ;  for  every  one  of  them  was  dis- 
tinct. This  man  was  unlike  every  other  man  I 
ever  met.  He  was  himself,  Christopher  Layton, 
guided  by  a  belief  in  God,  and  with  a  determin- 
ation by  the  help  of  the  Almighty,  to  extend  the 
borders  of  Zion,  conquering  the  desert  and 
bringing  to  man's  dominion  those  elements  that 
tend  to  his  happiness  and  peace,  and  are  a  bless- 
ing to  all  who  desire  homes  and  a  place  among 
the  people  of  God.  Sitting  around  me  are 
men  who  have  drunk  from  the  bubbling  foun- 
tain of  truth  with  him,  who  knew  his  worth, 
who  have  plighted  their  faith  with  him,  pledged 
their  lives  to  him,  and  for  whom  he  has  pledged 
his  life  in  the  accomplishment  of  spreading  the 
truth  of  the  gospel.  His  talents,  his  means, 
everything  that  man  holds  dear,  was  upon  the 
altar  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  work  of 
God.  Not  an  apostle  of  the  old  school  from 
President  Young  down  to  myself,  at  least,  but 
what  has  received  of  his  hospitality,  been  cared 
for  in  his  homes,  hauled  in  his  wagons,  drank 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  265 

from  his  wells,  slept  in  his  beds,  and  received 
from  his  hand  if  need  be  the  means  with 
which  to  pay  our  way  over  the  railroads,  or 
to  be  carried  hundreds  and  thousands  of  miles 
possibly  under  the  watchcare  and  protection  of 
his  sons  or  the  men  in  his  employ.  Not  one  of 
them  but  when  they  come  to  his  bier  may  come 
from  reverence,  for  in  his  death  one  of  the  tru- 
est, one  of  the  most  stalwart,  one  of  the  most 
fearless,  most  sterling  of  men  has  surrendered 
his  spirit  to  his  Maker,  and  has  gone  to  the  re- 
ward of  the  just.  A  man  who  followed  the 
laws  of  God  and  fulfilled  the  purpose  of  his  be- 
ing to  the  best  of  his  ability  with  which  his 
Maker  had  endowed  him.  This  is  my  tribute. 
Peace  to  his  ashes.  May  his  sons  and  daugh- 
ters prove  of  the  same  worth  and  honor  such 
as  was  in  him.  May  they  bow  at  his  bier  and 
register  a  vow,  both  sons  and  daughters,  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren,  that  that  honor  main- 
tained by  him  shall  never  be  lowered  by  them ; 
not  one  of  them  shall  become  a  drunkard ;  not 
one  a  profane  man ;  not  one  a  thoughtless,  im- 
pure or  unwise  man  or  woman ;  but  with  heroic 
courage  say  that  the  standard  he  has  raised  so 
high  shall  continue  to  ascend  and  grow  in 
power  as  long  as  time  shall  be.  I  regarded 
President  Layton  as  an  honest,  truthful,  fear- 
less believer  in  the  principles  of  the  gospel,  and 
as  devoted  to  its  advancement  as  any  man  with 


266  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

whom  I  have  come  in  contact  in  my  experi- 
ence with  the  work  and  its  development ;  and  it 
has  been  my. privilege  to  know  quite  a  number 
of  them.  But  when  we  come  to  speak  of  one  of 
these  men,  and  look  over  the  past,  I  cast  my 
eye  around  me,  look  upon  the  men  sitting  by 
my  side,  and  I  see  that  the  reaper  is  gathering 
and  gleaning  from  a  host  of  the  worthiest  men 
that  have  ever  lived  in  this  world ;  and  that 
that  gatherer  will  continue  to  come  and  gather ; 
and  I  wonder  as  I  look  around  on  their  sons 
and  daughters,  whether  there  is  one  of  us  who 
have  descended  from  that  stalwart  stock,  that 
will  lower  the  standard  that  they  raised  in  any 
degree,  and  whether  the  sires  and  the  mothers 
who  have  borne  us  shall  bow  their  heads  in  re- 
gret that  they  upheld  the  principles  of  the  eter- 
nity of  the  marriage  covenant  and  the  laws  of 
God  given  for  the  establishment  of  righteous- 
ness in  the  world,  and  the  gathering  in  of  God's 
children ;  or  whether  we  may  bow  our  heads 
and  shrink  from  the  labor  that  lies  before  us. 
I  trust  that  such  shall  not  be  the  case.  We 
may  be  weak;  we  may  lack  the  capacity  that 
these  sires  have ;  but  we  can  do  our  duty  with 
the  ability  that  we  have.  And  so  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  I  have  registered  my  promise  with 
my  God,  that  if  he  will  give  me  strength,  the 
mother  that  bore  me  and  went  to  her  rest  in 
my  infancy,  shall  not  blush  that  I  am  her  son ; 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  267 

for  I  honor  her  that  she  accepted  the  marriage 
covenant  and  the  plurality  of  wives.  I  honor 
her  in  the  presence  of  God  and  of  men,  that 
she  sustained  the  principle  of  right.  May  heav- 
en's peace  and  joy  abound  in  the  homes  of 
these  boys  and  these  girls,  of  these  men  and 
these  women,  of  these  mothers  who  have  passed 
through  the  fire  and  trial  of  experience,  and 
been  devoted  and  true  and  unyielding,  fulfill- 
ing their  mission.  May  God  sustain  them  with 
that  fortitude,  that  through  the  balance  of  their 
lives  they  shall  recognize  the  fact  that  the 
Father  has  honored  them  in  the  possession  of 
such  a  husband ;  and  I  know  that  he  feels  that 
God  has  honored  him  in  the  possession  of  such 
wives  and  such  children.  The  gospel,  my 
brothers  and  sisters,  is  true;  it  will  not  fail; 
its  promises  will  be  accomplished,  and  the  star 
of  light  will  spread  and  increase  until  all  the 
world  shall  learn  the  way;  and  the  righteous 
shall  reign  and  the  evil  shall  go  to  condemna- 
tion. God  bless  you  all,  my  brothers  and  sis- 
ters. May  peace  abide  and  abound  in  your 
homes.  May  the  heroic  spirit  continue  to 
struggle  as  long  as  breath  shall  remain  in  your 
body;  characterize  you  as  it  characterized  this 
man  whose  remains  lie  here.  Not  sinking  your 
individuality;  not  losing  'yourself.  For  he 
never  sank  his  individuality.  Wherever  he  was 
his  voice  must  be  heard,  giving  his  views  upon 


268  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

any  proposition  looking  to  the  development  in 
the  section  in  which  he  lived,  or  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  good.  My  witness  is  that  our 
Father  has  gathered  another  gem,  and  that  he 
will  gather  others  in  brief  periods  of  time,  to 
link  with  the  grand  heroes  that  have  gone  be- 
fore, who  sustaining  the  name  of  Christ  in  this 
world,  will  sustain  it  in  the  next  world,  as  gems 
adorning  the  crown  he  shall  wear,  because  they 
accepted  his  principles  and  labored  to  make 
them  honorable  in  the  world.  God  bless  you. 
Amen. 

REMARKS  BY  STAKE  PRESIDENT  JOHN  W.   HESS. 

I  feel  as  if  I  wanted  to  occupy  a  few  mo- 
ments. There  has  already  been  a  great  deal 
said,  and  I  testify,  so  far  as  my  knowledge  goes, 
that  it  is  all  true,  and  not  one  word  that  I  know 
of  has  been  spoken  amiss.  And  I  suppose  that 
we  might  go  on  and  keep  up  this  kind  of  talk 
until  dark,  and  we  would  not  exhaust  the  good 
that  might  be  said.  It  is  true  that  as  a  people, 
when  we  come  to  a  time  that  our  hearts  are 
filled  with  charity,  our  hearts  are  filled  with  the 
spirit  of  truth,  so  that  we  forget  all  of  the  lit- 
tle matters  that  once  perhaps  disturbed  us  more 
or  less.  When  we  forget  these  little  matters  and 
begin  to  think  with  a  charitable  feeling  upon 
one  another,  there  seems  to  be  no  exhaust- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  269 

ing  it.  It  is  not  only  so  in  the  case  of  Brother 
Layton,  but  it  is  so  with  the  great  majority  of 
this  people,  as  we  have  already  heard.  Now  I 
have  been  acquainted  with  Brother  Layton  a 
great  many  years,  and  much  has  been  said  of 
his  nobleness  of  character  and  the  greatness  of 
his  intentions  and  desires.  I  want  to  go  back. 
You  know  I  am  one  of  these  old  residents.  I 
want  to  go  back  about  fifty  years,  perhaps 
more.  I  want  to  go  back  to  1846,  and  I  want 
to  relate  a  circumstance  in  which  this  man  par- 
ticipated, that  there  has  been  nothing  said 
about.  A  circumstance  that  many  of  our 
young  people  know  nothing  at  all  about.  A 
circumstance  and  a  time  when  the  Church, 
when  the  Latter-day  Saints  were  on  the  altar 
of  sacrifice,  if  you  know*  what  that  is.  These 
people  have  been  on  the  altar  of  sacrifice  a 
number  of  times,  and  the  Lord  has  had  his 
means  at  those  different  times  to  save  the  peo- 
ple. I  want  to  relate  in  short,  a  circumstance 
of  this  kind  that  took  place  about  the  time  of 
our  exodus  from  Nauvoo.  We  were  generally 
bad,  so  considered  by  the  world;  as  a  rule  it 
was  considered  by  the  world  that  we  were  not 
fit  to  live,  that  we  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to 
live  because  we  were  so  generally  bad,  and  so 
corrupt  that  we  were  not  worthy  of  a  place  on 
the  earth.  This  was  about  the  time  that  we 
were  driven  from  Nauvoo.    Now  the  question 


270  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

when  we  were  about  to  be  driven  out  of  the 
confines  of  the  United  States  was,  what  shall 
be  done  with  these  Mormons?  We  can't  have 
them  here;  the  state  of  Missouri  couldn't  en- 
dure them;  they  have  driven  them  to  Illinois 
and  they  have  come  here.  We  can't  have  them, 
and  what  are  we  going  to  do  with  them  ?  Well, 
we  were  to  be  driven  somewhere,  no  one 
knew  where ;  into  the  wilderness ;  into  the 
west;  none  of  us  knew  where.  This  was  a 
question  in  Congress.  Now  I  have  heard  this 
explained  in  a  different  light,  and  it  is  simply 
not  true  wherein  it  has  been  explained  in  a 
light  that  it  was  a  favor;  it  was  a  blessing 
conferred  upon  our  people  to  allow  five  hun- 
dred men  to  enlist  to  go  to  Mexico  and  to  be 
landed  in  California  or  somewhere  else  where 
we  were  to  be  going;  that  it  was  done  as  a 
matter  of  favor.  I  say  it  is  not  true.  The 
devil  did  not  intend  such  a  thing;'  did  not  in- 
tend to  favor  us  as  a  people ;  it  was  always  the 
opposite ;  and  these  were  the  devil's  emissaries 
scheming  and  planning  what  to  do  with  the 
Mormons.  Thomas  Benton  was  a  congress- 
man from  Missouri.  He  was  figuring  in  Con- 
gress, and  induced  the  President  to  give  an 
exterminating  order;  instead  of  allowing  the 
Mormons  to  go  to  the  west,  to  be  driven  among 
the  Indians,  to  give  an  exterminating  order  and 
kill  the  people  all  off.    The  question  was  asked 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  271 

Benton,  "what  will  you  do  with  the  women  and 
children  ?"  "Kill  them  all,  they  are  not  worthy 
to  live,  there  shall  not  one  of  them  be  left 
alive. "  In  the  character  of  Thomas  L.  Kane, 
the  Lord  moved  upon  him  to  take  a  trip  up 
through  the  camps  of  the  Saints  as  they  were 
scattered  from  Nauvoo  to  the  Bluffs,  and  see 
their  condition,  and  if  need  be  to  do  so,  to  go 
and  make  a  report  to  the  President  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  people,  and  of  the  innocence  of 
the  people,  and  of  the  loyalty  of  the  people; 
that  they  were  not  disloyal  to  our  government, 
but  that  we  had  been  driven  from  everything 
that  we  had,  and  we  were  on  the  road  some- 
where, nobody  knew  where.  He  induced  the 
President  to  take  notice  of  this  matter.  And 
during  this  time  the  war  with  Mexico  was  go- 
ing on,  and  the  argument  came  up  in  Congress. 
Mr.  Kane  said:  "The  people  are  not  disloyal, 
Mr.  President,  and  to  prove  to  you,  give  me 
one  more  chance.  Call  upon  them  for  five  hun- 
dred of  their  men  to  go  to  Mexico  to  fight  the 
battles  of  the  United  States,  and  if  they  refuse 
to  go,  I  will  cease  importuning/'  The  Presi- 
dent took  up  with  this  offer  and  the  demand 
was  made.  Captain  Allen  to  my  certain  knowl- 
edge, with  five  dragoons,  came  to  us,  and  I 
know  he  was  the  man  that  was  sent  out  to  re- 
cruit these  five  hundred  men  from  the  Mor- 
mon camps.    I  know  that  because  I  was  there ; 


272  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

and  to  cut  my  story  short,  this  call  was  made 
upon  the  Mormon  people  to  turn  out  five  hun- 
dred of  their  able-bodied  men,  the  strength,  the 
physical  force,  the  strong  arm  of  the  people 
was  called  forth,  while  our  people  were  scat- 
tered from  Nauvoo,  from  the  Mississippi  Riv- 
er to  the  Council  Bluffs;  with  the  people 
camped  along  the  road,  and  many  of  them  all 
the  shelter  they  had  was  the  shade  of  a  tree. 
Yes,  without  any  support;  the  fathers  were 
called,  the  husbands  were  called,  the  sons  were 
turned  out  to  make  up  these  five  hundred  men. 
What  for?  To  go  as  a  sacrifice.  You  have 
many  of  you  read  of  Abraham  offering  up 
his  son  Isaac  upon  the  altar.  Our  people  at 
that  time,  the  Latter-day  Saints  at  that  time, 
were  as  much  on  the  altar  of  sacrifice  as 
Isaac  was  in  the  days  of  his  father.  And  the 
call  of  five  hundred  men  was  the  means  the 
Lord  used  at  that  time  as  a  sacrifice  for  Israel. 
And  the  men  were  furnished,  and  the  people 
were  saved,  and  permitted  to  go  on  their  jour- 
ney to  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  and  we  are  here 
as  we  are.  I  see  one  man  on  the  stand  be- 
sides myself,  and  in  connection  with  Chris- 
topher Layton  and  others  we  went  as  a  sacri- 
fice while  Israel  was  on  the  altar.  I  say,  my 
brethren  and  sisters,  that  these  things  are  true, 
and  I  want  to  tell  them  for  the  advantage  of 
the  young  people  that  are  here.    This  was  one 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  273 

of  the  efforts  the  evil  one  has  made  from  time 
to  time  in  the  history  of  our  people  to  destroy 
the  people  of  God,  to  annihilate  and  destroy 
every  man  that  held  the  priesthood  of  the  Son 
of  God,  and  every  wpman  and  child,  that  they 
might  be  wiped  out.  The  Lord  has  used  men 
and  women  from  time  to  time  to  save  Israel, 
and  this  one  that  I  refer  to  was  used  to  save 
Israel  at  that  time.  If  these  men  had  not  been 
furnished,  if  President  Young  had  said,  "no, 
gentlemen,  you  have  driven  us  from  our  homes, 
you  have  robbed  us  of  everything,  and  we  have 
been  driven  from  everything ;  and  now  to  come 
and  ask  us  to  turn  out  our  men,  the  strength  of 
Israel,  when  we  are  under  such  conditions,  no, 
gentlemen,  it  is  too  unreasonable,  it  is  so  un- 
just we  will  not  do  it."  If  he  had  done  this, 
there  never  would  have  been  a  Latter-day 
Saint  in  these  valleys,  because  their  doom  was 
sealed  to  wipe  this  people  from  the  face  of  the 
earth.  And  that  was  the  only  means  that 
saved  them  at  that  time.  This  man  was  one  of 
those  who  took  his  life  in  his  hand.  As  the 
angel  said  to  Abraham  when  Abraham  had 
raised  the  knife,  he  said,  "stay  thy  hand,  Abra- 
ham, there  is  a  ram  in  the  thicket;  sacrifice 
him."  These  men  were  the  ram  in  the  thicket, 
they  were  the  sacrifice  to  deliver  Israel;  and 
this  man  was  one  of  them.  I  pray  that  we 
may  be  as  full  of  integrity  as  we  were  at  that 

19 


274  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

time,  and  as  many  of  us  have  been  since  that 
time,  always  ready  to  be  sacrificed  for  the  good 
of  others.  I  ask  the  Lord  to  bless  his  family. 
I  was  a  great  friend  of  Brother  Layton.  He 
had  his  peculiarities,  and  some  of  them  I  did 
not  like  very  well.  I  have  peculiarities  that 
some  of  you  do  not  like  very  well,  but  I  have 
them  all  the  same,  and  I  am  trying  to  get  rid 
of  them;  and  I  ask  you  to  extend  your  char- 
ity towards  me,  and  towards  one  another,  be- 
cause there  is  more  or  less  good  in  all  of  us ; 
and  with  all  of  our  weaknesses,  we  have  no 
desire,  no  intention  to  do  wrong.  But  we  have 
our  weaknesses,  and  if  we  had  more  charity 
toward  one  another  before  we  are  dead,  it 
would  be  a  blessing  to  us,  because  we  would 
enjoy  it  to  some  extent.  May  the  Lord  grant 
it  and  bless  this  people,  that  they  may  emulate 
every  good  example,  and  that  they  may  do  at 
least  as  well  as  he  has  done,  is  my  prayer. 
Amen. 

REMARKS  BY  PRESIDENT  LORIN  FARR,  OGDEN. 

I  am  pleased  to  meet  with  you,  and  I  am 
pleased  to  hear  the  words  that  have  been  spok- 
en today  in  regard  to  our  beloved  friend  Broth- 
er Layton.  I  have  been  acquainted  with  him 
ever  since  he  came  to  these  valleys.  I  have 
known  his  history;  I  have  known  his  integ- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  275 

rity,  dnd  that  his  integrity  has  been  good.  I 
loved  him  because  he  was  a  man  that  was  not 
afraid  to  speak  his  mind.  He  was  not  afraid 
to  tell  it,  and  if  his  mind  differed  from  those 
over  him,  he  was  willing  to  submit  to  the  ma- 
jority, but  we  got  his  mind.  I  loved  him  for 
that.  It  is  the  class  of  man  I  am.  I  love 
those  that  are  not  afraid  to  speak  their  minds ; 
and  above  all  I  like  their  minds  to  be  the  mind 
of  God,  the  will  of  God,  and  on  the  side  of 
right.  The  Lord  God  is  right.  And  it  has  af- 
forded me  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  in  meeting 
here  this  afternoon,  to  witness  the  good  feeling 
and  the  good  things  said  in  regard  to  Brother 
Layton.  The  last  time  I  saw  him  in  Arizona, 
I  had  a  very  pleasant  time  with  him,  stopped 
all  night  with  him,  and  found  him  to  be  a  true 
friend  there,  and  I  always  felt  blest  in  his  so- 
ciety, because  he  was  a  friend  of  God,  and  God 
was  his  friend.  With  all  his  peculiarities,  he 
was  a  man  of  integrity  and  tried  to  do  right, 
and  he  has  gone  to  his  rest.  He  has  not  gone 
far.  He  is  not  a  great  ways  off.  We  don't 
have  a  great  ways  to  go  if  we  have  gone  to  a 
good  place.  President  Layton  has,  and  I  am 
thankful  that  he  has  gained  the  hope  and  that 
he  has  got  through  with  his  troubles.  He  has 
gone  to  associate  with  holy  and  pure  beings. 
I  pray  the  Lord  to  bless  his  family  and  comfort 
them,  that  they  may  follow  his  good  examples 


276  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

and  seek  to  do  all  the  good  they  can.  I  ask 
the  Lord  to  bless  you  and  preserve  you  in  the 
truth,  that  you  may  take  that  course  that  you 
may  meet  Brother  Layton  again  with  joy  and 
pleasure,  and  meet  all  the  righteous  ones  that 
have  gone  before,  is  my  prayer,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus.  Amen. 

REMARKS  BY  BROTHER  RALPH  DOUGLASS,  OGDEN. 

I  am  happy  to  meet  with  vou  here  today.  I 
do  not  want  to  occupy  the  time.  I  have  been 
acquainted  with  Brother  Layton  for  fifty-six 
years,  worked  with  him  fifty-six  years  ago  in 
Illinois,  and  I  have  been  acquainted  with  him 
ever  since.  And  I  know  that  he  was  a  good 
man ;  and  I  hope  we  will  all  work  so  as  to  get 
salvation  as  he  has,  and  that  his  family  may 
do  the  same,  and  that  they  may  have  the  credit 
that  he  has  got.  That  is  my  prayer,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 

REMARKS    BY    BROTHER    WILLIAM    C.    RYDALCH, 
GRANTSVILLE. 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  I  am  pleased  that 
I  have  taken  the  opportunity  to  come  to  pay 
my  respect  to  my  beloved  brother  and  friend, 
whom  I  have  been  acquainted  with  about  forty- 
five  years.    And  I  can  bear  testimony  that  the 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  277 

words  that  have  been  spoken  by  the  brethren 
are  true.  Whatever  I  have  known  about  him 
has  been  for  good.  He  was  a  good  neighbor, 
a  true  friend,  true  to  the  Lord;  gave  good 
counsel  to  his  brethren  and  sisters.  I  hope 
and  trust  that  we  will  all  serve  our  God  as 
faithfully  as  he  has,  and  ask  my  Heavenly 
Father  to  bless  the  family,  the  sons  and  the 
daughters,  and  his  wives,  and  all  who  are  near 
and  dear  to  him,  is  my  prayer,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus.  Amen. 

REMARKS  BY  BISHOP  PETER  BARTON. 

I  have  been  acquainted  with  Brother  Layton 
and  the  work  that  he  has  been  performing,  and 
can  bear  testimony  to  the  same.  And  it  is  a 
satisfaction  to  the  Latter-day  Saints,  that  we 
will  be  rewarded  for  the  good  that  we  have 
done.  None  can  deprive  us  or  rob  us  of  our 
reward  which  is  promised  unto  us  if  we  are 
faithful.  And  it  should  be  a  stimulus  to  each 
and  every  one  to  put  in  practice  the  good  ex- 
amples of  those  that  have  stood  the  test  and 
that  fought  the  good  fight,  and  have  labored  so 
many  years  in  the  cause  of  truth  and  to  estab- 
lish the  kingdom  of  God  here  upon  the  earth. 
We  should  try  to  emulate  the  good  examples 
and  profit  by  their  experience,  and  if  we  do  so 
we  will  grow  up  to  be  honored  of  God,  and  it 


278  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

will  be  said  of  us  when  we  pass  away,  that 
we  have  been  faithful  and  have  labored  to  build 
up  the  kingdom  upon  the  earth;  and  that  this 
may  be  our  part  and  our  privilege  is  my  prayer, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 

"O  my  Father,  Thou  that  dwellest ;"  by  the 
choir. 

PRAYER  BY  BROTHER  JOHN  THORNLEY. 

O  God  our  Heavenly  Father,  who  dwellest 
in  the  light,  look  down  upon  us  thy  children  in 
the  multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies.  Accept 
the  gratitude  of  our  hearts  for  what  our  ears 
have  heard  this  afternoon ;  for  the  goodly  por- 
tion of  thy  Holy  Spirit  which  has  been  shed 
abroad  in  the  hearts  of  thy  children  who  have 
come  to  pay  a  last  tribute  to  one  of  thy  noble 
Saints  who  has  gone  to  dwell  with  the  right- 
eous. O  Lord,  do  thou  bless  the  remarks  that 
have  been  made  unto  us,  that  they  may  sink 
deep  into  our  hearts,  that  we  may  profit  by  the 
same.  Bless  this  family  with  the  power  and 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Be  with  them  both 
by  day  and  by  night,  and  may  they  prove  them- 
selves worthy  of  these  blessings  being  poured 
out  upon  them  as  they  have  been  poured  out 
upon  their  parent  and  husband.  To  this  end 
we  ask  thy  blessing  to  rest  upon  all  in  Israel 
who  are  scattered  throughout  the  length  and 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  279 

breadth  of  the  land.  Bless  this  people,  O  Lord. 
We  ask  these  mercies  with  all  others  that  we 
need  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Re- 
deemer. Amen. 


After  the  services  father's  body  was  interred 
in  the  Kaysville  cemetery,  where  shortly  after, 
his  families  erected  a  monument. 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

In  stature  Christopher  Layton  was  nearly 
six  feet  in  height.  He  had  a  compact  and 
well-knit  frame ;  walking  in  an  erect  and  state- 
ly manner.  His  features  were  regular,  with  a 
broad  forehead  and  over-hanging  eyebrows. 
He  had  blue  eyes  and  light  hair.  His  expres- 
sion was  changeable,  varying  from  a  smile 
which  revealed  a  heart  full  of  deep  sympathy, 
love  and  affection,  to  a  stern,  cold  look,  indi- 
cating strong  will,  self-reliance  and  mastery  at 
rebuke.  He  was  easy  and  void  of  affectation, 
deliberate  in  speech,  conveying  his  original 
ideas  in  apt  though  homely  phraseology.    He 


280        PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

was  outspoken  and  plain,  never  mincing  mat- 
ters with  any  one,  high  or  low,  nor  treating 
the  simplest  honest  member  of  the  Church  with 
less  deference  than  the  greatest  of  all  the  dis- 
tinguished men  and  women  with  whom  he  as- 
sociated. 

Without  the  least  shadow  of  vanity  we  can 
truly  say  of  him,  his  integrity  was  unim- 
peachable, and  he  was  trustworthy  in  all  the 
social  relations  and  business  transactions  of 
life;  and  he  carefully  trained  his  children  to 
habits  of  industry,  economy  and  strict  moral- 
ity, and  a  knowledge  of  true  religion  as  re- 
vealed to  the  prophets  of  the  latter  days. 

He  was  a  good  judge  of  character  and  had 
an  excellent  memory.  His  mind  was  as  capable 
of  grasping  and  deciding  upon  great  ques- 
tions as  of  directing  the  smallest  details  of 
life's  everyday  affairs.  He  was  a  strong  be- 
liever in  the  divine  mission  of  Joseph  Smith, 
and  a  staunch  supporter  of  Brigham  Young 
and  his  successors.  His  duties  and  responsibil- 
ities were  discharged  with  scrupulous  punc- 
tuality and  that  inflexibility  of  purpose  which 
insures  success,  and  from  childhood  he  exhib- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  281 

ited  that  energy  and  decision  of  character 
which  marked  his  progress  in  life.  He  not  only 
taught  profound  doctrine,  but  also  how  to 
beautify  tlie  home,  how  to  build  towns  and  to 
redeem  the  desert.  His  advice  was  sought  for 
its  wisdom  and  moderation,  while  he  was  loved 
for  his  hearty,  genial  soul  and  his  deep  convic- 
tions of  right  and  justice. 

When  a  colony  was  called  to  pioneer  a  new 
country,  he  was  the  man  for  the  place,  ready 
at  the  appointed  hour.  His  mind  was  keen 
and  far-reaching  while  he  inherently  pos- 
sessed those  attributes  which  make  leaders  and 
counselors.  By  hardships,  trials  and  toil 
(which  had  been  his  portion)  he  had  been 
tempered  mentally  and  physically  to  endur- 
ance. 

He  had  his  faults,  some  of  which  were  grave 
but  not  serious,  but  his  defects  need  no  apol- 
ogies, for  his  virtues  swallowed  them  up.  He 
left  a  worthy  example  of  energy,  industry, 
indomitable  will,  self-sacrificing  nobility,  fath- 
erly nature,  love  of  mankind  and  love  of  God ; 
and  coming  generations  will  link  his  name 
with  the  noblest  characters  of  earth. 


282  THE    MAN— 


Christopher  Layton— The  Man. 

MY  first  acquaintance  with  Christopher 
Layton  dates  from  an  evening  in  the 
sixties,  when,  in  charge  of  a  small  train  of  wag- 
ons hauling  grain  from  Cache  Valley  to  Salt 
Lake  City  on  Deseret  News  account,  I  as  a  boy 
drove  into  his  broad  dooryard  at  Kaysville, 
and  found  welcome  entertainment  for  man  and 
beast  over  night.  The  patriarchal  size  and 
character  of  his  family,  his  homely,  clean-cut 
conversation  with  them  around  the  blazing  fire- 
side, his  simple  yet  sincere  devotional  exer- 
cises before  separating  for  the  night — all  made 
an  impression  upon  me  which  I  have  never 
forgotten. 

I  met  him  again,  as  incidentally  referred  to 
in  the  foregoing  history,  in  Arizona  during 
the  "crusade  days"  in  1885.  Like  many  an- 
other, he  was  being  hunted  and  hounded,  until 
he  scarcely  knew  which  way  to  turn  for  safety. 
T  encountered  him  on  one  of  the  flat  barren 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  283 

deserts  of  that  southern  territory,  and  will  not 
soon  forget  the  pleasure  he  evinced  in  meet- 
ing friends  when  he  had  almost  suspected  and 
was  resolutely  prepared  to  come  into  clash 
with  enemies.  Patience  by  this  time  had  well- 
nigh  ceased  to  be  a  virtue  with  him  and  he 
chafed  under  the  restraints  and  the  seclusion 
his  brethren  advised.  His  cool,  calm  courage 
seemed  to  me  so  admirable  that  this  meeting 
also  made  a  deep  impression  upon  me.  While 
this  "crusade"  was  still  raging,  we  met  again 
under  somewhat  uneasy  circumstances — this 
time  on  a  train  between  Salt  Lake  and  Ogden 
— and  it  was  my  good  fortune  tx>  assist  him  in 
baffling  those  who  thought  they  at  last  surely 
had  him  in  their  grasp.  Again  he  displayed 
the  admirable  resourcefulness  and  courage  with 
which  I  had  learned  to  associate  him.  I  be- 
lieve he  never  had  a  thought  of  fear;  and  I, 
like  everybody  else  with  good  red  blood,  al- 
ways admired  a  brave  man. 

The  work  I  have  bestowed  upon  the  preced- 
ing Autobiography  has  but  emphasized  the  im- 
pressions I  received  of  him  in  my  youth,  con- 
firmed by  acquaintance  with  him  in  my  maturer 


284  THE  MAN— 

years.  Christopher  Layton  was  one  of  the 
great  men  of  this  wonderful  community  of 
Mormons.  In  the  group  of  the  remarkable 
ones  who  were  the  leaders  in  the  making  of 
the  commonwealth,  he  instinctively  took  and 
held  his  place.  Handicapped  more  than  any 
of  his  associates  by  reason  of  lack  of  school- 
education,  he  nevertheless  proved  himself  no 
whit  their  inferior  in  judgment,  wisdom,  fore- 
sight, energy,  and  the  great  practical  qualities 
that  make  for  success.  In  the  race,  unequal 
though  it  might  have  seemed,  he  was  never  left 
behind;  he  was  in  every  respect  a  worthy  and 
respected  colleague  of  the  biggest  and  brain- 
iest. A  natural  pioneer  and  colonizer,  he  de- 
veloped with  years  the  rare  high  attributes  of 
the  empire-builder ;  and  his  name  will  be  held 
in  honorable  remembrance  as  long  as  men  shall 
inhabit  the  great  inter-mountain  west. 

Perhaps  no  man  ever  practiced  better  than  he 
a  thorough  devotion  to  the  gospel  of  Work. 
Tirelessly  industrious  himself,  he  felt  pity,  if  he 
did  not  feel  contempt,  for  an  idle  person.  His 
life  was  one  continued  scene  of  active  energy, 
and  all  who  approached  him  came  perforce 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  285 

within  its  influence.  His  family  were  taught 
to  work,  for  he  set  them  the  good  example; 
and  any  neighbor  needing  help — if  he  were 
but  industrious — came  to  him  not  in  vain.  The 
list  of  those  who  credit  him  with  giving  them 
their  start  would  be  a  long  one ;  of  worthy  un- 
fortunate to  whom  he  turned  a  deaf  ear  there 
is  not  one. 

Another  trait  was  his  intense  spirituality.  To 
expect  this  in  a  man  so  essentially  practical 
as  he  was  might  seem  a  contradiction,  for  the 
one  is  usually  thought  to  be  the  very  antithesis 
of  the  other.  Yet  he  was  spiritual  to  an  em- 
inent degree.  He  was  finely  susceptible  to  in- 
fluences which  are  felt  by  but  few,  and  the  fore- 
going pages  contain  many  instances  where  pre- 
monitions and  impressions  gave  him  warning 
of  events  about  to  happen.  His  faith  in  his 
Maker  and  his  confidence  in  His  servants  was 
great  and  unyielding ;  and  he  desired  above  all 
other  things  that  this  should  also  be  the  case 
with  his  posterity.  He  had  abounding  love  for 
his  family,  and  his  children  were  reared  in  a 
godly  atmosphere;  in  evidence  of  which  it  is 
only  necessary  to  observe  that  so  far  as  is 


286  THE  MAN— 

known  at  this  time,  every  one  of  his  numer- 
ous posterity  stands  in  full  fellowship  in  the 
Church  which  their  father  loved  and  served  so 
well;  many  of  them  hold  positions  of  prom- 
inence and  responsibility  in  it;  and  all  who 
have  married  have  sought,  at  whatsoever  ex- 
pense of  time,  travel  and  money,  to  have  the 
ceremony,  if  not  at  first  performed,  at  least 
later  confirmed,  in  sacred  places.  All  through 
his  history,  after  his  children  began  to  grow  in 
years,  he  speaks  fondly  of  their  labors  with 
and  assistance  to  him ;  and  it  was  with  worthy 
pride  that  he  was  able  to  say,  when  in  the 
evening  of  his  days,  that  not  a  single  son  or 
daughter  had  ever  been  disobedient  to  him. 
His  word  in  his  great  household  was  indeed 
law ;  but  it  was  such  because  he  ruled  by  love 
and  not  by  fear,  and  had  won  the  absolute 
confidence  and  affection  of  all  who  bore  his 
name. 

His  colonizing  labors  speak  in  their  results 
more  eloquently  of  him  than  any  historian's  pen 
could  hope  to  do.  His  monuments  are  found 
in  numerous  vast  garden  spots  of  Arizona, 
where   his  energy   and  example   gave  him   a 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  287 

founder's  fame ;  and  notably  in  that  bounteous 
Utah  granary — the  northern  part  of  Davis 
county.  He  was  the  first  to  make  commercially 
successful  the  now  gigantic  business  of  dry- 
farming  of  wheat.  His  Autobiography  tells  of 
the  sneers  and  doubts  of  those  who  watched  his 
initial  experiment ;  but  it  does  not  tell  an  inci- 
dent that  is  more  interesting:  how  a  well- 
known  miller  of  Salt  Lake  City  went  with  mis- 
giving and  against  his  will  to  look  at  the  Bish- 
op's ripening  crop,  returned  delighted  after 
contracting  for  it,  and  from  that  5,000-bushel 
purchase  put  forth  a  brand  of  flour  that  gave 
his  mill  a  reputation  which  it  enjoys  to  this 
day.  Not  less  difficult  is  it  to  estimate  the 
importance  of  the  consequences  attending  the 
introduction  of  alfalfa,  or  lucern — an  epoch- 
marking  experiment  in  which  he  was  largely 
instrumental.  No  one  can  calculate  the  mil- 
lions of  dollars  in  value  which  this  great  for- 
age plant  has  secured  to  the  inter-mountain 
country  during  the  last  forty  years.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  West  of  today  without  it 
could  not  have  come  to  pass.  It  has  solved 
graver  problems,  and  made  habitable  more  sec- 


288  THE  MAN— 

tions,  and  conferred  greater  benefits,  than  any 
other  single  element  or  several  of  the  best  of 
them  combined.  Before  its  advent,  Utah  and 
its  neighboring  communities  had  almost 
reached  the  end  of  their  tether,  so  far  as  con- 
cerns the  feeding  of  domestic  animals.  Chris- 
topher Layton's  importation  of  seed  from  Aus- 
tralia, and  its  planting  in  Davis  county,  her- 
alded the  coming  of  a  new  day  in  western 
agriculture.  Its  success  was  instantaneous, 
and  its  beneficent  results  are  limitless.  To 
have  been  the  pioneer  in  this  one  great  enter- 
prise alone  would  be  of  itself  enough  to  entitle 
any  man  to  grateful  remembrance  at  the  hands 
of  posterity;  and  yet  this  is  but  one  of  many 
things  that  have  made  secure  his  place  on  the 
list  of  the  community's  benefactors. 

His  vivid  story  of  experiences  with  the  Mor- 
mon-Battalion  is  made  doubly  interesting  by  the 
fact  that  nearly  four  decades  later  he  was  the 
leader  in  establishing  prosperous  homes  and 
busy  towns  at  various  points  along  the  trail 
of  that  immortal  march.  His  recital,  too,  of 
incidents  connected  with  the  "Carson  Valley 
mission"  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  history, 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  289 

since  but  little  has  been  heretofore  recorded 
concerning  that  expedition. 

The  effects  of  the  perusal  of  this  little  book 
will  be  more  far-reaching,  I  believe,  than  he  or 
his  family  could  have  anticipated.  He  was  so 
essentially  a  public  character  that  the  public 
are  entitled  to  know  more  about  him  than  is 
perhaps  generally  known.  This  autobiography 
lays  bare  the  guiding  motives  and  the  impelling 
forces  of  his  eventful  life.  While  it  com- 
memorates with  due  modesty  some  of  his 
achievements  and  successes,  it  is  not  silent  on 
the  trials  and  obstacles  he  was  forced  to  meet. 
In  its  entirety  it  should  constitute  not  only  a 
joy  and  a  comfort  to  his  family  but  also  an 
inspiration  to  all  others  who  shall  read  it. 

Jno.  O.  Cannon. 


Genealogical  Appendix 


PARENTS  OF  CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON 

SAMUEL  LAYTON,  born  1787,  in  England;  died 
March  21,  1859,  at  Kaysville,  Utah. 

ISABELLA  WHEELER,  born  ,  in  England; 

died    March,    1850,    at    Thorncut,    Bedfordshire, 
England. 

THEIR  CHILDREN 
(All  born  at  Thorncut,  Bedfordshire,  England) 

John,  born  Aug.  7,  1815;  died  July  3,  1886  in 
Kaysville,  Utah.  Had  son  Abraham,  who 
also  came  to  Utah,  ha'd  seven  children,  and 
died  about  20  years  ago;  also  daughter, 
Mary  Ann  (m.  John  Traugott)  living  in 
Davis    County,    Utah. 

Bathsheba,  born ;  died ,  in  England. 

Married  —  Denton;  had  one  son,  Charles, 
who  came  to  Utah  and  accompanied  his 
uncle  to  Arizona.    Dead. 

Amos,  born ;  died in  childhood. 

Priscilla,    born   ,     married    to     Samuel 

Martin,  and  died  in  St.  Louis,  U.  S.  A.  in 
1851 ;  had  five  children,  who  all  came  to 
Utah,  married  and  are  living  here  still. 

CHRISTOPHER,  born  March  8,  1821;  died 
Aug.  7,  1898  at  Kaysville,  Utah. 


292         GENEALOGICAL    APPENDIX. 

POSTERITY  OF  CHRISTOPHER 
LAYTON 

FIRST  FAMILY 

CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON,  married  July  10,  1842, 
at  Thorncut,  England,  by  Rev.  Taddy, 
MARY,  daughter  of  William  MATTHEWS  and 

Elizabeth    Roundy,   born   ,     England;     died 

Sept.  —  1845   at  Big  Mound,  111. 

THEIR   CHILDREN 

William,  born  on  Atlantic  ocean,  Feb.  14, 
1843;  died  March  28,  1843,  on  Mississippi 
river,  near  St.  Lo'uis,  Mo. 

Elizabeth,  born  Aug.  17,  1844,  at  Nauvoo,  111.; 
married  to  William  Galbraith,  April  11, 
1861,  at  Kaysville,  Utah,  by  Christopher  Lay- 
ton;  died,  Feb.  13,  1908  at  Raymond,  Al- 
berta, Canada. 

Her  Children 
(All   born    at    Kaysville,   Utah) 
William  L.,  b.  Jan.  12,  1862;  m.  (1)  Ann 
Elizabeth  Bodily,  Dec.  22,  1886  (d.  May 
19,  1904)  ;  (2)  Annie  Pearl  Curtis,  Feb. 
10,  1909. 
Mary  L.,  b.  Sept.  24,  1864;  m.  (1)  Chas. 
C.  Hyde,  March,  1883;  and  (2)  Elijah 
Laycock,  Nov.,  1889;  d.  Jan.  14,  1908 
at  Raymond,  Canada. 
George,  b.  Nov.  6,  1866;  d.  Oct.  4,  1868. 
Christopher,   b.    Feb.   28,    1869;   m.    Mary 
Heva  Johnson,  March  23,  1895    at  Diaz, 
Mexico. 
Peter,  b.  Sept.  16,  1871 ;  d.  June  4,  1873. 
•  David,  b.  March  30,  1883. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  293 


SECOND  FAMILY 

CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON  married,  May  3, 
1850  at  Sandy  church,  Thorncut,  England,  by 
Rev.  Cook, 
SARAH,  daughter  of  John  MARTIN  and  Mary 
Ann  Price;  born,  Nov.  29,  1822  at  Thorncut, 
England;  died,  Oct.  25,  1864  at  Kaysville, 
Utah. 

THEIR   CHILDREN 

William,   born    May    1,    1851    at   St.    Louis; 

died  August  — ,  1851  at  St.  Louis. 
Christopher,  born  Jan.  1,  1853,  at  Salt  Lake 
City;    married    Jane    E.    Bodily,    Jan.    18, 
1874    in    Salt    Lake    City,    by    Daniel    H. 
Wells. 

His  Children 
(All   born   in   Kaysville) 
Frank   M.,   b.   Sept.    1.   1876;   m.   Emma 
Diana    Ellsworth,    June    12,    1901,    at 
Safford,  Ariz.,  by  Andrew  Kimball. 
Christopher  B.,  b.  July  6,  1878;  m.  Mar- 
garet B.  Flint,  Apr.  23,  1902,  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  by  John  R.  Winder. 
Lawrence,  R.  B.,  b.  Nov.  14,  1880. 
Maggie  B.,  b.  Aug.  7,  1882. 
Mary  B.,  b.  Feb.  13,  1885;  m.  to  Albert 
B.  Barton  by  President  A.  H.  Lund, 
in  Salt  Lake  Citv,  Jan.  25,  1911. 
Delbert    Edwin,    b.    Aug.    19,    1887;    d. 

April  18,  1891. 
Jennie  B.,  b.  Sept.  25,  1889. 
Roy  Vernon,  b.   June  22,   1891;   d.  Jan. 

30,  1892. 
Eveline    B.,  b.    Mar.    19,    1893;    d.    Mar. 

27,   1893. 
Vernon  Cecil,  b.  Feb.  12,  1896. 


294         GENEALOGICAL   APPENDIX. 


Eliza  Ann,  b.  May  28,  1856,  on  Humboldt 
River,  Nevada;  married  Joseph  G.  Allred, 
Dec.  8,  1873  in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel 
H.  Wells.  She  died  April  11,  1903  in 
Arizona. 

Her  children 
(The  first  four  born  in  Kaysville,  Utah) 
Sarah  M.,  b.  Oct.  16,  1874;  m.  Alexan- 
der C.  Hunt,  June  11,  1901  at  Thatch- 
er, Arizona,  by  Andrew  Kimball. 
Christopher    A.,    b.    June    16,    1877;    m. 
Sylvia   M.   Faulkner,  June  3,   1900  at 
Thatcher,  Arizona,  by  Andrew  Kim- 
ball. 
Rhoda  Olive,  b.  Oct.  2,  1879;  d.  at  Kays- 
ville, July  29,  1880. 
Myron,  b.  July  6,  1881. 
Gilbert,  b.   Oct.   19,   1884    at  St.  David, 

Arizona;  d.  there  Mar.  23,  1886. 
Maggie     Eliza,     b.     April     16,     1891    at 
Thatcher,  Arizona. 

Erastus,  born  Mar.  18,  1858  at  Kaysville, 
Utah;  died,  Mar.  20,  1859    at  Kaysville. 

Emma  Jane,  born  May  29,  1860,  at  Kays- 
ville; died  there,  July  13,  1861. 

Charles  Martin,  born  July  3,  1862,  at  Kays- 
ville; married  Mary  Ann  McMasters, 
Sept.  20,  1883  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Dan- 
iel  H.  Wells. 

His  Children 
(The  first  five  born  in  Kaysville) 
Sarah  Virginia,  b.  July  12,  1884;  m.  Mar- 
ion Lee,  Oct.   11,   1905    in  Salt  Lake 
City,  by  President  J.  R.  Winder. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  295 


Alexander,  b.  April  21,   1886;  m.  Delia 

Curtis,  June,  1910,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  by 

President  J.  R.  Winder. 
Charles  Martin,  b.  May  18,  1888. 
Margaret  Grace,  b.  Feb.  8,  1894. 
Dora  Joan,  b.  Jan.  7,  1896. 
Mary     Lucille,     b.     Mar.     25,     1899  at 

Thatcher,  Arizona. 
Christopher  Athol,   b.   Aug.   8,   1901    at 

Thatcher,  Arizona. 
Owen    Woodruff,    b.    Jan.    29,    1904    at 

Thatcher,  Arizona. 


296         GENEALOGICAL   APPENDIX. 


THIRD  FAMILY. 

CHRISTOPHER    LAYTON    married,    Sept.    26, 

1852  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Brigham  Young, 

SARAH,   daughter   of   William    BARNES   and 

Elizabeth  Jeffries,  born  July  6,   1836  at  Sandy, 

Bedfordshire,   England;   died   Sept.    13,   1906  at 

-     Kaysville,  Utah. 

THEIR  CHILDREN 
Hyrum  John,  born  Sept.  8,  1853  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah;  married  Mary  Louisa  Egbert, 
Dec.  8,  1873  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel 
H.  Wells.  He  died  Sept.  17,  1885  at 
Syracuse  Junction,  Utah. 

His  Children 
Christopher  Hyrum,  b.  Sept.  28,  1874  at 

Kaysville. 
Mary  Ann,  b.  Aug.  20,   1876  at  Sunset 
Crossing,  Arizona;  d.  July  3,  1889  at 
Kaysville. 
Geneva   E.,   b.    Oct.   28,    1878  at   Kays- 
ville; m.  D.  M.  Fisher,  Aug.,  1896. 
Joseph    Edwin,    b.    Oct.    26,    1880;    m. 
Mary   Ellen   Allred,    Feb.    3,    1909   at 
Ogden,  by  Father  Cushnahan. 
Sarah  Crilla,  b.  Dec.  4,  1882  at  Kaysville. 
Myrtle  E.,  b.  Dec.  1,  1884;  m.  A.  M.  Gill, 
June,  1904,  at  Ogden. 
Mary  Ann,  born  Feb.   18,  185.6  at  Grants- 
ville,  Utah;  married  George  Swan,  Dec.  12, 
1878    at    Salt    Lake    City,   by    Daniel    H. 
Wells. 

Her  Children 
(All  born  at  Kaysville) 
Sarah  Louise,  b.  June  25,  1880;  m.  B.  F. 
Yaunt,  Nov.  14,  1906. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTOX.  297 


Agnes  Ann,  b.  July  31,  1882. 
Mary  Lenore,  b.  Oct.  5,  1884. 
George  William,  b.  July  21,  1887. 
Janet  Innes,  b.  Dec.  10,  1889. 
Darl  Irene,  b.  Mar.  31,  1893 
Garnet  Leone,  b.  Feb.  12,  1895. 
Frank  Ronald,  b.  Mar.  5,  1897. 
Christopher  MacDonald,  b.  Sept.  27,  1899. 

Ezra  William,  born  July  11,  1858,  at  Kays- 
ville; married  Mary  Ellen  Colemere,  Jan 
10,  1878  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel  H. 
Wells. 

His  Children 
George  Christopher,  b.  Oct.  7,  1878  at 
Kaysville;    m.    Annie    Secrist,    Nov., 
1898    in    Salt    Lake    City,    by   John    R. 
Winder. 
Rachel  Pearl,  b.  Oct.  1,  1881  at  Kays- 
ville; m.  Walter  W.  Stewart,  Nov.  23, 
1905    in    Salt   Lake    City,   by   John    R. 
Winder. 
Sarah    Mabel,   b.    Feb.   26,    1885    at   St. 
David,   Arizona;    d.   Jan.    11,    1887   at 
Kaysville. 
Leo  Hyrum,  b.  Mar.  24,  1891  at  Kays- 
ville. 
Roy  Ole,  b.  Nov.  10,  1896  at  Kaysville. 

David  Edwin,  born  Oct.  17,  1860,  at  Kays- 
ville; married  Alice  Watt,  Jan.  6,  1886  at 
Logan,  Utah,  by  Marriner  W.  Merrill. 
His  Children 
Maud,   b.    Sept.    30,    1886   at    Kaysville; 
m.  Jan.  11,  1911,  Alfred  Ryre  in  Salt 
Lake  City. 
Julia,  b.  April  8,  1888  at  Kaysville. 
Sarah  B.,  b.  May  3,  1890  at  Kaysville. 


298        GENEALOGICAL    APPENDIX. 


Ziporah,  b.  Oct.  12,  1894  at  Layton, 
Utah. 

Alice  Marie,  b.  Mar.  11,  1897  at  Lay- 
ton. 

Isabel,  b.  May  28,  1899  at  Layton;  d. 
there   Oct.   30,    1900. 

David  Christopher,  b.  Mar.  3,  1906  at 
Layton;  d.  there  July  8,  1910. 

Stanley  W.,  b.  July  9,  1908. 

Annie  B.,  born  Jan.  25,  1863,  at  Kaysville; 
married  Seth  Chauncey  Jones,  Aug.  25, 
1884  at  Logan. 

Her  Children 

Annie    Beatrice,    b.    Feb.    11,    1887    at 

Kaysville;    m.    Norman    Lloyd,    Dec. 

16,  1908  in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  John  R. 

Winder. 
Sarah     Myrtle,     b.     Oct.     30,     1890     at 

Thatcher,  Arizona. 
Seth    Chauncey,    b.     Dec.     2,     1888    at 

Thatcher,    Arizona,    and    died    there 

Mar.  3,  1889. 

Sarah  Elizabeth,  born  Sept.  4,  1865  at 
Kaysville;  married  Levi  Taylor,  Dec.  21, 
1882  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel  H. 
Wells. 

Her  Children 

(Both  born  at  Kaysville) 

Sarah  Emmeline,  b.  Sept.  27,   1883;  m. 

to  John  Smith,  Sept.  7,  1905. 
Levi   L.,  b.  Aug.  20,   1885;  m.   Priscilla 
Barber,  Nov.  8,  1906. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  299 


FOURTH  FAMILY 

CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON  married,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1854  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Brigham 
Young, 
ISABELLA,  daughter  of  Richard  GOLIGHT- 
LY  and  Isabella  Richardson,  born  Aug.  6, 
1836  at  Newcastle,  England;  died  Dec.  15, 
1877  at  Kaysville,  Utah. 

THEIR  CHILDREN 

John  Henry,  born  Dec.  6,  1855  at  Salt  Lake 
City;  married  Hannah  Phillips,  Jan.  23, 
1879  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel  H. 
Wells. 

His  Children 
(All  born   at  Kaysville) 

Heber  John,  b.  Sept.  20,  1879;  m.  Wini- 
fred Derby,  Oct.  28,  1902  in  Salt  Lake 
City. 

Hannah  Isabel,  b.  April  2,  1880;  d.  May 
3    1880 

Delbert  P.,  b.  May  4,  1882. 

Lottie  Jane,  b.  April  1,  1884. 

Chloe  Louise,  b.  July  10,  1886;  m.  Thos. 
Jesse  Harris,  June  23,  1909  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  by  John  R.  Winder. 

Edward  P.,  b.  Mar.  19,  1888. 

Luella  )  twins,  b.  Aug.  29,  1892. 

Leo       J  Leo  d.  Sept.  4,  1892. 

Leona,  b.  Nov.  29,  1893. 

Harold  Christopher,  b.  Aug.  19,  1895. 

Richard  Glenn,  b.  Jan.  11,  1897;  d.  Aug. 
8    1897 

Frankie  Josephine,  b.  Jan   12 ,1898. 

Norma  Gladys,  b.  Sept.  29,  1900. 


300         GENEALOGICAL    APPENDIX. 


Jacob  Alonzo,  born  Dec.  18,  1857  at  Kays- 
ville;  married  Ann  McPherson,  Jan.  5, 
1882  in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel  H. 
Wells. 

His  Children 

Mary  Isabel,  b.  Sept.  22,  1882  at  South 
Hooper,  Utah;  m.  Fred  W.  Gibson, 
May  20,  1903  at  Ogden,  Utah. 

Katie,  b.  Oct.  31,  1884  at  Kaysville;  m. 
Enoch   Harris,  Mar.   11,   1903  at  Og- 

'     den. 

Diamon  McP.,  b.  Jan.  2,  1888  at  Kays- 
ville. 

David,  b.  Feb.  12,  1893  at  Layton,  Utah. 

Christopher   Ross,  b.   Mar.  28,   1898  at 

Layton;    d.    Mar.    at    Syracuse 

Junction. 

Richard  G.,  born  Mar.  21,  1860  at  Kaysville; 
married  Annie  E.  Horne,  Feb.  8,  1886  at 
St.  David,  Arizona,  by  Bishop  P.  Lough- 
green. 

His  Children 
Mary  Isabella  JL,  b.  Mar.  26,   1887  at 
St.    David,    Arizona;    m.    Lemuel    R. 
Pace,  Oct.  2,  1907  in  Salt  Lake  Tem- 
ple, by  John  R.  Winder. 
Leonora  H.,  b.  Feb.  6,  1889  at  St.  David, 
Arizona;  m.  Ashael  Clifford,  Feb.  20, 
1907,  by  W!  D.  Johnson. 
Richard  G.,  b.  Dec.  27,  1890  at  Thatch- 
er, Arizona. 
Martha  G.,  b.  June  18,  1893  at  Thatcher, 

Arizona. 
Sophronia    G.,    b.    April    26,     1895    at 

Thatcher,  Arizona. 
Leland  H,  b.  Feb.  22,  1898;  d.  Jan.  22, 
1899. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  301 


Theresa  H.,  b.  May  2,  1901  at  Thatcher. 
Henry    Marden,    b.    May    18,    1910    at 
Thatcher. 

Rachel,  born  Jan.  24,  1862  at  Kaysville; 
married  James  Warren,  April  1,  1880  at 
Salt  Lake  City,    by  Daniel  H.  Wells. 

Her  Children 

Sarah  Isabel,  b.  Oct  30,  1880  at  Kays- 
ville. 

David,  b.  Jan.  21,  1882  at  Kaysville;  m. 
Florence  Stacy  Guthrie,  May  23,  1906 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  John  R.  Winder. 

Jane,  b.  Dec.  23,  1884"at  Kaysville. 

Eugene,  b.  June  24,  1886  at  Syracuse 
Junction,  Utah;   d.  Jan.  2,   1887. 

Rachel  Elizabeth,  b.  May  4,  1889  at 
Syracuse  Junction;  m.  Leland  Elliott, 
June  21,  1911,  by  Bishop  Wood,  Syra- 
cuse. 

James,  b.  Mar.  24,  1890  at  Kaysville;  d. 
Jan.  5,  1891. 

Leo,  b.  May  21,  1895  at  Syracuse  June. 

Glenn,  b.  Feb.  18,  1901. 

Irene,  b.  Jan.  21,  1906. 

Samuel,  born  Oct.  21,  1863  at  Kaysville; 
married  Mary  Hannah  Linford,  June  15, 
1898  at  Salt  Lake  City. 

His  Child 
Leland    Clifford,    b.    Mar.    16,    1902    at 
Kaysville. 

Lucy  Isabel,  born  Nov.  7,  1865  at  Kaysville; 
married  Francis  Bone,  Dec.  19,  1888  at 
Kaysville,  by  John  R.  Barnes. 


302         GENEALOGICAL   APPENDIX. 


Her  Children 
(All  born  at  Layton,  Utah) 

Delbert  Francis,  b.  Nov.  10,  1889. 
Ethel  Isabel,  b.  Oct.  12,  1890. 
Clarence  L.,  b.  Jan.  12.  1892. 
Clyde  William,  b.  Oct.  8,  1895. 
Mary  Ellen,  b.  Mar  13,  1900. 
Alberta  Louise,  b.  Mar.  9,  1903. 
Annie  L.,  b.  Oct.  11,  1906. 

Jane,  born  April  9,  1868  at  Kaysville;  died 
Sept.  8,  1881  at  Syracuse  Junction,  Utah. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  303 


FIFTH  FAMILY 

CHRISTOPHER    LAYTON   married,   April    12, 
1856  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Brigham  Young, 
CAROLINE,  daughter  of  James  COOPER  and 
Christine  ,  born  Sept.  26,  1836,  in  York- 
shire, England. 

THEIR  CHILDREN 

Selina,  born  August  15,  1857  at  Carson 
City,  Nevada;  married  Edward  C.  Phillips, 
Nov.  17,  1873  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Dan- 
iel H.  Wells. 

Her  Children 
(The  first  six  born  at  Kaysville) 
Jesse  Charles,  b.  Aug.  30,  1874;  m.   (1) 
Dora  Williams,  Oct.  24,  1895  (she  died 
Dec.  1,  1896)  ;   (2)  Elizabeth  Williams, 
May  26,  1903  in  New  Mexico,  by  Bishop 
Thomson. 
Christopher  Edward,  b.  Tuly  27,  1877;  d. 

Dec.  28,  1891  at  Thatcher,  Arizona. 
Franklin  C,  b.  Mar.  8,  1880;  d.  Aug.  14, 

1881  at  Kaysville. 
David    Dee,   b.    Jan.    5,    1882;    m.    Eliza 
Annetta    Phillips,    Dec.    30,    1903    at 
Thatcher,  Arizona,  by  Andrew  Kim- 
ball. 
Joseph  Alvin,  b.  July  27,  1884;  m.  Jen- 
nie Syrena  Merrill,  Sept.  23,  1907  at 
Thatcher,  Arizona,  by  Andrew  Kim- 
ball. 
Rudger,  b.  Jan.  6,  1887;  m.  Nancy  Sims, 
April  5,  1906  in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  John 
R.  Winder. 


304         GENEALOGICAL    APPENDIX. 


Horace       )    b.  June  16,  1889  at  Thatch. 
Benjamin  j    er,  Arizona;  d.  same  day. 
Alice  Selina,  b.  Jan.  2,  1892  at  Thatcher; 
m.  Pratt  Pace,  May  25,  1910  at  Thatch- 
er, by  Andrew  Kimball. 
Priscilla,  b.   Dec.  27,   1895  at  Thatcher, 
Arizona. 
James  Albert,  born  June  13,  1859  at  Kays- 
ville;  married  Edith  Harrod,  May  27,  1886 
at  Kaysville,  by  Bishop  Peter  Barton. 
His  Children 
(First  two  born  at  Kaysville,  the  others 

at  Cardston,  Canada) 
James  Myron,  b.  June  30,  1887. 
Cora  Caroline,  b.  Dec.  24,  1890. 
Thomas  Franklin,  b.  April  3,  1892. 
Edith  Eva,  b.  Jan.  17,  1895. 
Ida  Rose,  b.  Jan.  17,  1898. 
Virda  Alice,  b.  Oct.  31,  1900. 
Martha  Priscilla,  b.  Aug.  12,  1903. 
Afton  Erzula,  b.  June  7,  1907. 
Martha  Alice,  born  Feb.  20,  1861  at  Kays- 
ville; married  James  T.  Walker,  Mar.  4, 
1877    at    Salt    Lake    City,    by    Joseph    F. 
Smith.     She  'died  at  Kaysville,  Feb.  22,  1880. 
Her  Children 
James  Frederick,  b.  Jan.  10,  1878  at  Kays- 
ville. 
Christopher  John,  b.  Jan.  8,  1880  at  Kays- 
ville ;  d.  Jan.  28,  1880. 
Heber   C,  born   Dec.  8,   1862  at   Kaysville; 
died  there  Sept.  9,  1863. 

Joseph,  born  July  28,  1864  at  Kaysville; 
married  Cynthia  Fife,  Sept.  2,  1886  at 
Safford,  Arizona,  by  Christopher  Layton. 
He  died  May  10,  1897  at  Thatcher,  Ariz. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON  305 


His  Children 

Joseph  Chris,  b.  Sept.  14,  1887  at  Thatch- 
er, Arizona;  m.  Lue  Irene  Evans, 
Sept.  17,  1907  at  Thatcher,  by  An- 
drew Kimball. 

Glenna  Selina,  b.  April  26,  1889  at  Lay- 
ton,  Arizona;  d.  Feb.  12,  1892  at 
Thatcher,  Arizona. 

Edna  Cynthia,  b.  Jan.  24,  1891  at  St. 
David,  Arizona. 

William  Walter,  b.  Oct.  3,  1892  at 
Thatcher,  Arizona. 

Iretta,  b.  Oct.  28,  1894  at  Thatcher, 
Arizona. 

Phebe  Caroline,  b.  Sept.  23,  1896  at 
Thatcher,  Arizona. 

Caroline,  born  April  12,  1866  at  Kaysville; 
married  Joseph  W.  Hill,  Dec.  4,  1884  at 
Kaysville,  by  Bishop  Peter  Barton. 

Her  Children 
(All  born  at   Kaysville) 
Martha  Alice,  b.  May  25,  1886. 
Joseph  Melvin,  b.  May  16,  1889;  m.  Cora 
Pearl  Flint,   Dec.   11,   1909,  by  Bishop 
Henry  H.  Blood. 
Leonard,  b.  Jan.  25,  1893. 
Jenniso,  b.  Sept.  6,  1902. 

Frank  G.,  born  Jan.  21,  1868  at  Kaysville; 
died  there  Sept.  10,  1870. 

Frederick,  born  Jan.  27,  1872  at  Kaysville; 
married  Barbara  Allen  McGuire,  Aug.  31, 
1892  at  Thatcher,  Arizona,  by  William  D. 
Johnson. 


21 


306         GENEALOGICAL    APPENDIX. 


His  Children 

Leo,  b.  June  7,  1893  at  Thatcher,  Ariz. 
Esma    Cynthia,    b.    Oct.     10,    1901    at 

Thatcher,  Arizona. 
Irene,  b.  Dec.  28,  1903  at  Thatcher,  Ariz. 

Chauncey  West,  born  May  7,  1874  at  Salt 
Lake  City;  married  Josie  Raddon,  June  27, 
1900  at  Kaysville,  Utah,  by  Bishop  Peter 
Barton. 

His  Children 
James    La    Page,    b.    Feb.    10,    1901    at 

Kaysville. 
Chauncey  Eugene,  b.   Sept.  20,  1903  at 

Cardston,  Canada. 
Raddon,   b.    Mar.   6,    1905   at    Cardston, 
Canada. 

Horace,   born    Oct.    26,    1876   at    Kaysville; 
married  Phebe  Corbridge,  Dec.  6,  1899  at 
Kaysville,  by  Bishop  David  E.  Layton. 
His  Children 
Leroy,  b.  Oct.  17,  1900  in  Alberta,  Can- 
ada. 
Sophronia,   b.    Nov.   28,    1902   at    Card- 
ston, Canada. 
Odessa,  b.  July  31,  1906  at  Frankburg, 
Alta,  Canada. 

Benjamin,  born  Sept.  26,  1879  at  Kaysville; 
married  Mary  Amanda  Anderson,  Oct.  4, 
1905  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

His  Child 
Leon,  b.  July  26,  1906  at  Cardston,  Can. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  307 


SIXTH  FAMILY 

CHRISTOPHER    LAYTON    married,     Aug.     2, 
1862  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel  H.  Wells, 
ROSA  ANN,  daughter  of  William   HUDSON 
and  Mary  Miles;  born  Sept.  22,  1846  in  Lit- 
tle Park,  Yorkshire,  England. 

THEIR  CHILDREN 

George  Willard,  born  Nov.  11,  1863  at 
Kaysville;  married  Janet  Hill,  Dec.  18, 
1884  at  Kaysville,  by  Bishop  Peter  Bar- 
ton. 

His  Children 

(The    first   five   born   at   Kaysville,    the 
others  at  Layton,  Utah) 

George,  b.  Aug.  1,    1885;  d.  Aug.  1,  1885. 

Joseph,  b.  Sept.  3,  1886;  d.  Sept.  8,  1886. 

Pearl  Beatrice,  b.  Oct.  29,  1887. 

Vera  Louise,  b.  Oct.  20,  1891. 

Cora  Emmeline,  b.  Feb.  20,  1894. 

Mamie  Alta,  b.  Dec.  16,  1898. 

Glenn  Seymour,  b.  Aug.  22,  1900. 

Leonard  H.,  b.  Nov.  6,  1902. 

Albert  Thomas,  born  Dec.  28,  1865  at  Kays- 
ville; married  Ax med a  Marintha  Tibbetts, 
April  7,  1887  at  Layton,  Arizona,  by 
Christopher  Layton. 

His  Children 

(First    five    born    at    Layton,    Arizona; 

the  others  at  Franklin,  Arizona) 

Rose  Ellen,  b.  Sept.  19,  1888;  m.  Eras- 
tus  Moore,  July  4,  1907  at  Franklin, 
Arizona. 


GENEALOGICAL    APPENDIX. 


Myrtle  Almeda,  b.  Nov.  23,  1890;  m. 
John  Hall,  May  1,  1907  at  Franklin, 
Arizona. 

Bertha  Minerva,  b.  Nov.  10,  1892;  m. 
Bartlett  Gale,  Aug.  31,  1910  at  Frank- 
lin, Arizona. 

Olive  Agatha,  b.  Dec.  6,  1894. 

Hyrum  Christopher,  b.  May  19,  1897. 

Edith  Belle,  b.  July  31,  1899. 

Albert  Sylvester,  b.  Oct.  9,  1901. 

William  Neal,  b.  June  23,  1904. 

Walter  Leo,  b.  Mar.  22,  1907. 

Marintha  Geneva,  b.  June  24,  1910. 

Heber  Chase,  born  Nov.  2,  1867  at  Kays- 
ville;  married  Agnes  Almeda  Welker, 
April  7,  1887  at  Layton,  Arizona,  by 
Christopher  Layton. 

His  Children 
(All  born  at  Thatcher,  Arizona) 
Heber    Lorenzo,    b.    Jan.    31,    1888,    m. 
Hulda  Celestia  Brundage  Jan.  5,  1910, 
at  Layton,  Arizona,  by  Bishop  J.   R. 
Welker. 
Agnes    Ann,   b.   Jan.   4,    1890;    m.    Leo. 
Romney,  Apr.   11,   1911   at  Thatcher, 
Arizona,  by  Bishop  James  R.  Welker. 
Adam  Leroy,  b.  Mar.  5,  1892. 
Cordelia  May,  b.  May  4,  1894. 
Delmar   Christopher,  b.   Aug.   19,   1908; 
d.  Aug.  30,  1908. 

Ernest,  born  Aug.  25,  1869  at  Kaysville; 
married  Ada  Flint,  Mar.  9,  1898  at  Salt 
Lake  City. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  309 


His  Children 
(All  born  at  W.  Layton,  Utah) 
Itha,  b.  Dec.  31,  1899. 
Lela,  b.  July  9,  1901. 
Golden  F.,  b.  June  9,  1905. 

Isaac  Clarence,  born  Nov.  1,  1871  at  Kays- 
ville. 

Mary  Isabel,  born  Feb.  2,  1874  at  Kaysville; 
married  Reuben  Barnes  June  28,  1893,  by 
Bishop  Peter  Barton. 

Her  Children 

(First  three  born  at  Kaysville;  others  at 

'  Layton,  Utah) 
Leona,  b.  Nov.  30,  1894. 
Christopher  J.,  b.  Nov.  25,  1896. 
Myron  Nacomio,  b.  Oct.  27,  1899. 
Leland  R.,  b.  April  29,  1902. 
Marie  Ruby,  b.  Nov.  3,  1904. 
Wilkie  L.  {  b.  April  26,  1907;  Wilkie  d. 
Wilda  L.   J  Sept.  19,  1907. 

Jeanetta,  born  June  12,  1875  at  Kaysville; 

married    Ernest    Zesigar,    ,     at 

West  Layton,  by  Bishop  David  Layton. 

Her  Children 

Leo,  b.  Feb.  12,  1896  at  West  Layton. 
Ernest    Lawrence,    b.    May    9,    1900    at 

Bear  River. 
Edith,  b.  Aug.  12,  1902  at  Bear  River. 

Rozina,  born  Dec.  12,  1878  at  Kaysville; 
married  John  H.  Thornley,  Nov.  3,  1899 
at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  John  Woolley. 


310         GENEALOGICAL   APPENDIX. 


Her  Children 
(All  born  at  Layton,  Utah) 

Irene  J.,  b.  Mar.  20,  1900. 
Jesse,  b.  Nov.  18,  1902. 
Delias  L.,  b.  Oct.  20,  1904. 
Dora  L.,  b.  Mar.  4,  1908. 
Henry  L.,  b.  July  26,  1910. 

Olive,  born  Feb.  24,  1881  at  Kaysville;  mar- 
ried Walter  Barlow  Jan  28,  1909  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  by  John  R.  Winder. 

Her  Child 
Walter  Layton,  b.  May  19,  1910. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  311 


SEVENTH  FAMILY 

CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON  married,  January  7, 
1865,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Heber  C  Kimball, 
SEPTIMA,  daughter  of  George  SIMMS  and 
Caroline  Gill;  born  July  20,  1848  at  Chelten- 
ham, Gloucestershire,  England;  died  Oct  5, 
1889  at  Kaysville. 

THEIR  CHILDREN 

Amy  C,  born  Dec.  24,  1867  at  Kaysville; 
married  Reuben  Walter  Fuller,  Jan.  1, 
1886  at  St.  David,  Arizona,  by  Bishop 
Peter  Loughgreen. 

Her  Children 
(Born  at  Thatcher,  Arizona) 

Maggie  Drucilla,  b.  Nov.  21,  1887;  m. 
Warren  Bingham,  Sept.  24,  1906  at 
Layton,  Arizona,  by  Bishop  J.  W. 
Welker. 

Reuben  Walter,  b.  Feb.  13,  1890;  m. 
Anna  Taylor,  July  23,  1908  at  Pima, 
Arizona,  by  Bishop  P.  C.  Merrill. 

Lawrence,  b.  Mar.  21,  1894. 

Archie  Joseph,  b.  May  12,  1898. 

Priscilla  May,  born  Jan.  19,  1870  at  Kays- 
ville;  married  Thomas  Flitton,   Feb.   19, 
1889  at  Kaysville,  by  John  R.  Barnes. 
Her  Children 
Jennie  L.,  b.  Dec.  25,  1889  at  Kaysville. 
Rupert    Thomas,    b.    Oct.    21,    1891    at 
Kaysville. 


312         GENEALOGICAL    APPENDIX. 


Daniel  David,  b.  Oct.  7,  1893  at  Hooper, 

Utah. 
Joseph  Christopher,  b.  Nov.  3,  1895  at 

Kaysville. 
Harry    Wilford,    b.    Nov.    25,    1897    at 

Kaysville. 
Curtis  Monroe,  b.  Mar.  8,   1900  at  Og- 

den. 
Alfred    Hannon,    b.    Sept.    26,    1902    at 

Syracuse,  Utah. 
Elmira,    b.    June    9,    1907    at    Syracuse, 

Utah. 

Louie'  I  b'  °ct'  »■  1909' 

Drucilla  Grace,  born  Mar.  23,  1872  at  Kays- 
ville; married  John  H.  Blood,  Jan  7,  1890 
in  Logan,  by  M.  W.  Merrill. 

Her  Children 
(All  born  in  Kaysville) 

Septima  L.,  b.  Mar.  11,  1891. 

Annie  L.,  b.  Feb.  24,  1894. 

Merlin  John,  b.  Aug.  3,  1896;  d.  July  22, 

1909. 
Byron  L.,  b.  Oct.  7,  1898. 
Vera  Jane,  b.  Mar.  7,  1901. 
Millie  L.,  b.  Sept.  10,  1903. 
Seth  L,  b.  Aug.  6,  1905. 
Nora  L.,  b.  Sept.  25,  1908. 
Howard,  b.  Feb.   11,  1911. 

Oscar  George,  born  May  12,  1874  at  Kays- 
ville; married  Lula  Jane  Lewis,  May  24, 
1892  at  Thatcher,  Arizona,  by  W.  D.  John- 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  313 


His  Children 
(All  born  in  Thatcher,  Arizona) 
Blanche  Septima,  b.  May  11,  1893. 
Oscar  Clyde,  b.  Aug.  26,  1894. 
Delbert    George,    b.    May   22,    1896;    d. 

Aug.  2,  1897. 
Flossie,  b.  Mar.  2,  1898. 
Bertha,  b.  Feb.  19,  1900. 
Marlin  Bruce,  b.  Mar.  18,  1903. 
Beatrice,  b.  Sept.  8,  1904. 
Junius  Lewis,  b.  Mar.  15,  1906. 
Jessie,  b.  Oct.  31,  1907. 
Roy  Lewis,  b.  Aug.  7,  1904. 

Harry  Wilford,  born  Oct.  7,  1876  at  Kays- 
ville;  married  Emily  Reay,  Nov.  15,  1898 
at  Thatcher,  Arizona,  by  W.  D.  Johnson. 

His  Children 
(All   except  first  one  born  at   Central, 

Arizona) 
Miles  Merlin,  b.  Sept.  7,  1899  at  Thatcher. 
Ralph  Ray,  b.  June  5,  1901. 
George  Spencer,  b.  Feb.  27,  1903. 
Nola  Drucilla,  b.  Dec.  1,  1904. 
Martha  Opal,  b.  Dec.  11,  1906. 
Roy  W.,  b.  Jan.  27,  1909. 

Franklin  Simms,  born  Mar.  21,  1879  at 
Kaysville;  died  there  Sept.  27,  1879. 

Jesse  Monroe,  born  Dec.  27,  1884  at  Eden, 
Arizona;  married  Muriel  Randall  (born 
Dec.  4,  1889,  at  Nephi,  Utah)  April  1,  1909 
at  Solomonville,  Arizona,  by  Judge  F.  S. 
Bunch. 

His  Child 
Daughter  born  Feb.  18,  1910;  died  same 
day. 


314         GENEALOGICAL   APPENDIX. 


EIGHTH  FAMILY. 

CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON  married,  May  1,  1870 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Daniel  H.  Wells, 
MARY    JANE,    daughter    of   Levi    ROBERTS 
and  Harriet  Ann  Neff. 

THEIR  CHILDREN 

Florence,  born  Aug.  3,  1871  at  Kaysville; 
married  Albert  K.  Green,  Mar.  8,  1893  at 
Kaysville. 

Her  Children 
(All  born  at  Kaysville) 
Otha  K,  b.  Dec.  26,  1893. 
Levi  B.,  b.   Sept.  27,  1896;  d.  April  26, 

1899. 
Parnell,  b.  Sept.  20,  1898. 
Ortensa,  b.  Nov.  26,  1901. 
Austher  L.,  b.  Oct.  4,  1903. 
Mary  L,  b.  Oct.  30,  1909. 

Ella,  born  Oct.  8,  1873  at  Kaysville;  mar- 
ried Edwin  Webb,  Feb.  28,  1893  at  Kays- 
ville, by  Bishop  Peter  Barton. 
Her  Children 
(All  except  first  one  were  born  at  Ma- 
lad,  Idaho) 
Earl,  b.  Nov.  24,  1894  at  Kaysville. 
Josie  Mary,  b.  Nov.  20,  1896. 
Christopher,  b.  May  1,  1899. 
Leland,  b.  Oct.  2,  1901. 
Verma,  b.  April  11,  1904. 
Edmund  L.,  b.  Jan.  27,  1906. 
Charles  L.,  b.  ,  . 

Levi  Brigham,  born  Dec.  28,  1875  at  Kays- 
ville; died  Nov.  13,  1895  in  Idaho. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  315 


Harriet  Ann,  born  Dec.  28,  1877  at  Kays- 
ville;  married  E.  Conrad  Miller,  Dec.  9, 
1893  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Bishop  Adam 
Spiers. 

Her  Children 
(All  born  at  Layton,  Utah) 
Marie,  b.  Oct.  9,  1894. 
Davina,  b.  April  7,  1898. 
Lovina,  b.  April  7,  1900. 
Harriet  Edwina,  b.  Oct.  9,  1903. 
Benjamin  L.,  b.  Nov.  28,  1907. 
Harmon  L.,  b.  June  12,  1910. 

Phebe,  born  July  2,  1881  at  Kaysville;  mar- 
ried Willard  R.  Harris,  Jan.  30,  1901  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  by  John  R.  Winder. 

Her  Children 
(All  born  at  East  Layton,  Utah) 
Leora,  b.  Jan.  11,  1902. 
Mary  Neve,  b.  Aug.  2,  1903. 
Wayne  L.,  b.  Mar.  6,  1905. 

Jennie  M.,  born  at  Kaysville  Aug.  30,  1886; 
married  Alonzo  J.  Gilert,  Oct.  30,  1907, 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  by  John  R.  Winder. 


316         GENEALOGICAL   APPENDIX. 


NINTH  FAMILY 

CHRISTOPHER    LAYTON    married,    Aug.    15, 
1878  at,  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
ELIZABETH,    daughter    of    Ebenezer    WIL- 
LIAMS and  Ada  Evans. 

THEIR  CHILDREN 

Lawrence  W.,  b.  Aug.  4,  1879  at  Kaysville; 
died  there  Aug.  28,  1879. 

Lottie  W.,  born  Nov.  18,  1880  at  Kaysville; 
married  Joseph  Heber  Larson,  May  25, 
1903  at  Thatcher,  Arizona,  by  Andrew 
Kimball. 

Her  Children 

(All  born  at  Thatcher,  Arizona) 

Magdaline,  b.  May  3,  1904;  d.  May  22, 

1905. 
Thora,  b.  Aug.  27,  1905. 
Joseph  L.,  b.  Oct.  23,  1907. 

Leslie  W.,  born  Jan.  5,  1883  at  Kaysville; 
married  Nellie  Claridge,  Sept.  3,  1903  at 
Thatcher,  Arizona,  by  Patriarch  Samuel 
Clari'dge. 

His  Children 

Christopher,  b.  April  19,  1904  at  Thatch- 
er; d.  May  29,  1905. 

Angeline,  b.  Jan.  21,  1906  at  Thatcher. 

Elizabeth,  b.  May  30,  1907  at  Thatcher. 

Leslie  Joy,  b.  Feb.  16,  1909  at  Brice, 
Arizona. 


CHRISTOPHER  LAYTON.  317 


Lillian  W.,  (twin)  born  Feb.  12,  1885  at  St. 
David,  Arizona;  married  Edward  M. 
Claridge,  Sept.  3,  1903  at  Thatcher,  Ari- 
zona, by  Patriarch  Samuel  Claridge. 

Her  Children 
(All  born  at  Thatcher) 
Luella,  b.  April  5,  1904;  d.  May  21,  1905. 
Samuel  Lynton,  b.  Mar.  2,  1906. 
Ethna,  b.  Nov.  19,  1908. 

Luella  W.,  (twin)  born  Feb.  12,  1885  at  St. 
David,  Arizona;  married  Ousley  A. 
Reneer,  Sept.  4,  1904  at  Thatcher,  Ari- 
zona, by  Bishop  Moody. 

Her  Children 
(Born  at  Thatcher,  Arizona) 
Leman  A.,  b.  Oct.  8,  1905. 
Ebon,  b.  Jan.  22,  1908. 

Priscilla  W.,  born  Nov.  11,  1887  at  Thatch- 
er, Arizona. 

Minnie  W.,  born  Jan.  3,  1890  at  Thatcher, 
Arizona. 

Gilbert  W.,  born  April  11,  1892  at  Thatcher, 
Arizona. 

Elizabeth  W.,  born  May  19,  1894  at  Thatch- 
er, Arizona. 

Wilmuth  W.,  born  Sept.  4,  1896  at  Thatch- 
er, Arizona. 


2- 

Sr 


T  W 

t        •        4 


